Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-09
HERR|DGE IS NAMED
CANADIAN MINISTER
SOIdier-Lawyer Chosen for
American Post Is Rising
Public Figure.
Special Dispatch to The star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
OTTAWA, Ontario, March 9
(N.A.NA.).-The vacancy in tlsS Cana
dian ministry at Washington Z to be
filled, according to an announcement
made yesterday by Premier Bennett, by
Maj. william Duncan Herridge OF
Ottawa, and in him Canada Is sending
as her representative to her neighbor a
soldier-lawyer who is one Of the rising
stars in Canadian public life.
Bill" Herridge, as he is Familiarity
called by his many friends, may be
devoid OF any previous experience OF
public Office, but scores of men who
knew him in his college days or served
with him In France will feel that Pre-
n1ier Bennett has made an excellent
choice, for Herridge has that mysterious
thing called personality" and Is man
OF mark in any company.
OF Clerical Lineage.
Mai. Herridge is of mixed English and
Scottish blood and Of clerical lineage
the late DR.. w. T. HerTtdge, who was
minister Of St. Andrews Presbyterian
Church in Ottawa, was reckoned the
most eloquent preacher of his day In
Canada and his mother was the
daughter of well known Scotch clergy
man.
It was in the Canadian capital that
''Bill" Herridge was born AZ years ago,
and there, apart from his years of war
service, all his life has been spent. He
was educated at Ottawa schools and
then went to Toronto University, where,
although Ill health interrupted his
studies, he was among the most bril-
liant students of his time. At Toronto
he was contemporary and intimate
friend Of Vincent Massey, whom he now
succeeds.
Admitted to her bar of Ontario, Maj.
Herridge joined an Ottawa law flrm, but
he scarcely found his feet in the legal
profession when war broke out. He
joined local corps, with which he pro-
ceeded to France, where he saw q
variety Of service and earned by his
valor the Distinguished Service Order
and the Military Cross. Eventually he
became a staff captain and ended the
war as brigade major.
Resumed Law Practice.
Discharged from the Army. the major
resumed the practice of law, but in a
few years he "hived of" from his orig
inal firm with another member and
formed the new firm of Henderson &
Herridge. He began to specialize in
patent law. for which he developed q
flair, and soon became recognized
authority upon this subject His repu-
tation as a patent lawyer brought him
a number Of great American corpora
tons with Canadian interests as clients,
and this work has taken him fire.
quently to New York and other Amer
ican cities, where he has acquired an
extensive acquaintance with business
men in the United States and familiar
lied himself with American conditions.
During the war years Maj. Herridge
married a playmate of his youth, Miss
Rose Flick, a member of well known
Ottawa family, who was also the grand
daughter of the late John r. Booth, the
lunlberman, believed to be the richest
man In Canada at the time OF his
death. But their happy union, which
was unfortunately childleSs, came TO a
tragic end six years ago through the
sudden death Of Mrs. Herridge.
Distracted over her loss, Bill" Her
ridge found solace in hard work and In
his first political venture. With view
to stimulating the interest Of the
younger generation in politics, he found
ed an organization called the Canadian
League, consisting Of groups Of young
men mostly veterans of the war, who
met regularly in all the leading Cana
dian cities 70 discuss Canadian prob
lens. To promote this organization, he
has Travelled all over Canada and accu-
INFLATED friends in every part Of the
Dominion.
Becomes Conservative.
Until 1925 he was an independent In
politics, for, although his father was
a strong Conservative, Mr.. Mackenzie
King, the Liberal leader, was an init
mate family friend. But bill" Her
ridge happened also to be the closest
personal friend that Lord Byng, the
encouragement of the day, had In
Canada and when great constitutional
quarrel befell between Lord Byng and
Mr.. King, Mr.. Herridge sided with the
governor general and finally foreswore
AL allegiance to the Liberal party.
30 when the last general election