Evening star., 1940-04-04
Canadians Acclaim
Earl Of AthIone as
Governor General
Brother Of Queen Mother
Mary Dominion's Choice,
Says Mackenzie King
BY the Associated Press.

by t0e ASSOClateO FTeSS.
OTTAWA, April 4.-Canada to-
day acclaimed a member of the
royal family. the Earl of Athlone,
as its new governor general. ap-
pointed by King George vi to sue
ceed the late Lord Tweedsmuir. He
is a brother of Queen Mother Mary.
Prime Minister w. L. Mackenzie
King disclosed that the Earl of
Athlone was the dominion gov
ernment's choice and that his Sc
lection had been discussed with
King George as far back as the
Kings tour of Canada and the
United States last year with Queen
Elizabeth.
Favored by Tweedsmuir.
The appointment also was in
keeping with the belief of Lord
Tweedsmuir, whose term would
have expired this year, that he, a
commoner, should be succeeded by
a man high in British aristocracy
During the course of several
conversations with his majesty"
Mr.. Mackenzie King said, Il had
occasion to speak of a successor to
Lord Tweedsmuir I had every rea-
son to believe that the Earl of
Athlone would be acceptable both
to his majesty and to Canada"
The announcement was made
simultaneously last night here and
IN London in identical statements:
1T is officially announced from
Buckingham Palace that the King
has been graciously pleased to ap-
prove of the appointment of Mai.
Gen. the Earl of Athlone, K. c., as
Governor-General of the Dominion
Of Canada"
Sailing Date Unannounced.
Because of wartime secrecy sur
rounding transatlantic travel, the
date of sailing for the new Gov
ernor General and his countess,
Princess Alice, granddaughter OF
Queen Victoria, was not announced.
For the same reasons, the custom
ary welcome and swearing in at the
port Of arrival in Canada will be
delayed until the earl reaches Ot-
tawa.
He is not expected, however, un-
til some time in June-too late to
open the session of Parliament
scheduled for the latter part of
May.
Alexander Augustus Frederick
William Alfred George Cambridge
first Earl of Athlone, is the only
surviving son of the Duke of Teck
German prince who married into
the English royal family. During
the first World War, the German
name and title were dropped and
the earldom of Athlone created at
the same time King George v chose
the name Of Windsor for the ruling
house.
The Earl, then Prince Alexander
Of Teck, was educated at Eton and
Sandhurst, British military college
He subsequently became a captain
in the 7th Hussars, the Royal Horse
Guards and the I'd Life Guards. He
served in the Matabele war in
Africa in 1896, being mentioned in
dispatches. Later he took part in
the relief of Mafeking, in the Boer
War, winning the Distinguished
Service Order ssd the queens medal
Have Only One Child.
He and his Countess, daughter o1
the Duke of Albany, have only one
surviving child, Lady Mary Helen
Emla Cambridge, born in 1906.
The Earl served as governor gen.
eral Of the Union of South Africa
for five-year term ending in 1928
but remained in that post for two
more years at the request of the
people Of South Africa, with whom
he won great popularity.
When he left South Africa the
editor of the Cape Times wrote OF
him: HE has a special gift OF
kindly curiosity. He likes detail
He is really interested in peoples
lives, in their houses, in their farms
in their oxen, their asses and every
thing they own"
The earl was created a Knight
Of the Garter in 1928. He also holds
the Grand Cross of the Bath, Grand
Cross of st. Michael and st. George
Grand Cross Of the Victorian Order
and other honors.