[From IoM and the Great War, 1922]

CHAPTER VI.

SOME NOTES. 

I.

In a previous chapter reference has been made to the military contribution from the Isle of Man, in the form of manhood, to the Imperial fighting forces. The cost of training three companies of the Isle of Man Volunteers for Imperial service amounted to £31,000, which expenditure was borne by the Manx Exchequer. In addition to this, a sum of £10,000 was voted by Tynwald on 18th September, 1914, as a contribution towards the cost of the War, and in his budget speech when introducing the estimates for the year 1920-21, His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor (Sir William Fry) proposed that the Island should make a further payment of £150,000 to the Imperial Government to-wards the same object. The matter was referred to a Committee of Tynwald, but at the time of going to press the Committee had not reported.

The Isle of Man has, since 1866, made an annual contribution of £10,000 to the Imperial Government. This payment forms part of a bargain which was then arrived at between the two Governments, under which the Insular Legislature was given a larger control over the finances of the Island than it had previously enjoyed. Some people, however, have hinted that it is, in reality, a contribution on the part of the Manx Government to the Imperial Government for naval protection.

II.

The Manx people endured the same restrictions as the people of England in regard to supplies of sugar and certain other articles of food. Under the provisions of the Defence of the Realm Regulations, the Lieutenant-Governor was empowered to control food of all descriptions, together with coal, petrol, and other articles; but even when food rationing was at its strictest point, it was not always necessary to adopt the same system as obtained on the Mainland. For instance, at no time were ration books operative in the Isle of Man; this was due to the fact that where articles were controlled by the Government in the United Kingdom, the ration for the Manx people was sent to the Manx Government in bulk on a capitation basis, and arrangements were made by Committees established under the authority of the Lieutenant-Governor for the distribution of such bulk ration in such a way that the population shared it equally. This system saved a great deal of inconvenience in the form of ration books.

As was the case in the United Kingdom, bread was subsidized in the Isle of Man. The grant from public funds for this purpose was considerable, and ultimately involved a vote of £40,000 from the Customs Revenue and a vote of £40,000 from the Income Tax Fund. It was largely due to this subsidy, and to the so-called "bread riot" of 1918, that Income Tax was introduced in’to the Isle of Man.

The presence of so many prisoners of war in the Island necessitated the control by the Government of the local potato crop, as potatoes formed one of the principal items of the prisoners’ dietary. To save the denudation of the Island’s supplies, Orders were made under the Defence of the Realm Regulations prohibiting the export, except under Government Office permit, of potatoes, live stock, meat, eggs, oats, and other essential articles.

In the case of coal rationing, the system adopted in the Isle of Man was a more rigid one than that for the Mainland. No coal being produced in the Island, it was necessary to exercise greater supervision over the issues. All coal, on arrival, was taken over by the Government, and distributed, through the coal merchants, under regulations. In the case of household coal. each household was issued coupons by the Local Authorities for such annual ration of coal as was allowed under the regulations. A coupon had to be surrendered to the coal merchant for each hundred-weight of coal ordered, but no restriction was placed on the householder as to the amount to be drawn at any one time. Under this scheme complete control was obtained over the distribution of all coal arriving in the Isle of Man, and it was found that householders were inclined to save their coupons rather than draw their supplies at one time.

III.

Of the charitable organizations working in the Isle of Man during the War, mention must be made of the Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Families Association, the Sailors and Soldiers Help Society, the Needle Work Guild, and the Local Committee of the National Relief Fund. In the autumn of 1914 the local branch of the Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Families Association was dormant, but it was quickly revived, and an appeal was made for funds to carry on the work of the organization in the Island. Lady Raglan was President, and the Government Secretary was the honorary secretary of the branch, and within a very short time the sum of nearly £5,000 was collected. Almost every person in the Island contributed to the fund, children giving a penny or two in their school subscriptions. The result was a wonderful response to the appeal.

The task of disbursing the fund was considerable, and the honorary secretary, being fully engaged with Government work, was most fortunate in receiving a voluntary offer of assistance from Mr. R. D. Farrant (afterwards Lieutenant R.N.V.R., and later High-Bailiff of Castletown and Douglas) . His offer was gratefully accepted, and from that time there were two honorary secretaries until Mr. Farrant proceeded to sea.* Mr. Farrant dealt with the disbursement of the fund, and the Government Secretary continued to collect moneys for the work of the organization.

The head of the local branch of the Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Help Society was Mr. Leigh Goldie-Taubman, who took the keenest interest in the welfare of sailors and soldiers and their families. On the War Pensions Ministry being created, the work of both the Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Families Association and the Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Help Society was considerably curtailed. Mr. Taubman then devoted his full energy to the wounded and disabled, and was indefatigable in his efforts to provide them work.

A local War Pensions Committee was appointed by Tynwald under the provisions of the Isle of Man War Pensions Act. The administrative expenses of the Committee were borne by the Manx Exchequer, hut the Pensions allowed by the Committee were provided by the Ministry of Pensions.

The Needlework Guild was conducted by numerous ladies in the Island, amongst whom must be mentioned Mrs Kneen (wife of the then Clerk of the Rolls) , Miss Woodhead (niece of the late Speaker of the House of Keys, Mr. Dalrymple Maitland*) , Mrs Okell, and Mrs Robertson (wife of the Town Clerk of Douglas) . The work of the Guild was of two classes : (1) it issued wool and flannel to women and girls, who were paid to manufacture the materials into socks and shirts for sale to the Government for the Prisoner of War Camps; (2) it provided wool and flannel to anyone willing to manufacture them, without payment, into socks and shirts for the troops at the front. In addition, various hospital requisites were made.

A local Committee was appointed to administer such funds as were allotted by the Executive of the National Relief Fund, an English fund formed by public sub-scription, but to which the people of the Isle of Man had not freely contributed. During the period of its existence the local Committee distributed amongst people in the Isle of Man no less than £47,650, sent from the headquarters of the fund. Mr. P. G. Cannell, an advocate, acted as Secretary to the Local Committee.

*When Mr. R. D. Farrant received a commission in the R.N.V.R. and proceeded to sea, the Government Secretary resigned the honorary secretaryship of the organization, and Mr.D. Kissack became secretary, which appointment he still holds.

*Mr Dalrymple Maitland, who, in addition to being Speaker of the House of Key’s, was Chairman of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co. and Chairman of the Isle of Man Bank, died early in 1919, his only son having been killed in aõtion nòt long previously.

With the election of the new House of Keys, Mr. G. F. Clucas, of Cronkbourne, was chosen Speaker. He had sat in the House some years before, and, during the War, had "done his bit" in a Government Office in London.

IV.

Owing to the internment in the Island of so many prisoners of war during the War, and the consequent heavy additional drain on its production of foodstuffs, the Isle of Man was unable to contribute very largely to the food supply of the mainland, but, nevertheless, it was found possible to export an average annual quantity of about 8,000 tons of oats,* besides all surplus turnips and other agricultural produce, as well as live stock and fish . A National Egg Collection was made for military hospitals, and several million eggs were exported. Large quantities of hay and straw were purchased in the Island for the use of His Majesty’s forces, and many horses suitable for army requirements were shipped to England.

The Island also exported for the War Office large quantities of raw wool, which were purchased and collected through Government Office, and an extensive export trade in hosiery, gloves, and other manufactured woollen goods came into being, as a result of the stoppage of trade with Germany, Austria, and other countries.

The Island was considerably drawn upon for pit props and other timber for the English coal mines, and the forests and plantations of the Island were denuded to furnish the extensive consignments of this class of timber required on the Mainland in consequence of the stoppage of imports from Scandinavia and elsewhere.

Mention must, also be made of the assistance given to the Ministry of Munitions, which, though small in the nature of things, yet had its significance in the sum total. A shell factory was established at Messrs. Gelling’s Foundry, Douglas, which was kept busy day and night; the lead mines at Laxey were worked to their full capacity. The Admiralty obtained large quantities of rope hawsers, manufactured by Messrs. Quiggin & Co., Douglas. In addition, two large factories were improvised, and engaged in manutacturing envelopes for airships.

 *For a time the Manx Government controlled the export of oats and consigned all surplus oats to the British Government. Manx oats became famous during the War, and were used largely for seed purposes in England.

V.

The Lieutenant-Governor ordered a State Service to be held at St. George’s Church, Douglas, at three p.m. on 16th January, 1918, which was set apart as a National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving. The Lord Bishop of the Diocese preached the sermon, and there were present His Honour the Deemster Callow, representing His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, Members of the Legislature, Government Officials, the Mayor and Corporation of Douglas, representatives of other public bodies, and 100 troops from the Guards at the Prisoner of War Camps.

Another State Service was held at St. George’s Church on the 4th August, 1918, being the fourth anniversary of the Declaration cf War. The Lord Bishop of the Diocese preached the sermon, and a procession was formed as under at the Government Buildings, and proceeded to the church:—

(a) A company of the Royal Defence Corps, with Band.
(b) A detachment of the Isle of Man Boy Scouts.
(c) A detachment of the 1st Sodor and Man Cadet Corps.
(d) A detachment of the Isle of Man Volunteers. ~
(e) A detachment of H.M. Coastguard and R.N.V.R.
(f) Discharged Sailors and Soldiers who had fought in the War.
(g) Representatives of the Insular School Boards and Boards of Guardians.
(h) Representatives of the various Town, Village, and Parish Conimissioners.
(i) The Mayor, Corporation, and Officials of Douglas.
(j) Magistrates and Government Officials.
(k) The Speaker, Members, and Officials of the House of Keys.
(1) The Members of the Legislative Council and the Government Secretary.
(m’) His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor.
(n) The Officers in personal attendance on the Lieutenant-Governor.
(o) A detachment of the Isle of Man Constabulary.

At the request of His Excellency the Governor the Lord Bishop of the Diocese arranged for a Memorial Service to be held for the late Field Marshal Earl Kitchener of Khartoum at St. George’s Church,

Douglas, at 10-45 a.m. on Tuesday, the 13th June, 1916.

In order that the members of His Majesty’s Forces stationed in the Island might be represented on the occasion, accommodation was reserved in the church for the following detachments, which were composed mainly of men who had served under the late Field Marshal:—

Coastguard 1 officer and 10 other ranks.
Knockaloe Camp Guard 1, , 50 ,, ,,
Douglas Camp Guard 1, ,25 , , ,,
Border Regiment, Ramsey 1, ,25, ,,,
Isle of Man Volunteers 1,,25,, ,
Loyal Manx Volunteer Corps . . 1, ,25, , ,,
O.T.C., King William’s College . 1, ,25,,

Accommodation was also reserved for detachments of 25 from the Boy Scouts and from recognized Cadet units.

There also attended the Members of the Legislature, Government Officials, the Mayor and Corporation of Douglas with their officials, and representatives of other Town and District Commissioners.

The following telegram had been despatched on the 7th June, 1916:—

To Sir George Arthur, War Office.

A.745. On behalf of the Manx people, the Governor of the Isle of Man desires me to request that you will be so good as to convey this Island’s deepest sympathy to the relatives of the late Field Marshal Lord Kitchener in the great loss which they and the whole Empire have sustained.

Government Secretary, Isle of Man.

A reply was received as follows

To Government Secretary, Isle of Man.

Please ask the Governor to accept and convey to the Manx people sincere thanks from Lord Kit-chener’s family for the telegram, which was very deeply and keenly appreciated.

George Arthur.

VI.

Of the vessels of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, no less than eleven of the total fleet of fourteen were in the service of the Government during the War, the "Tynwald, " " Douglas, " and " Fenella " alone being left to conduct the mail service between the Island and the Mainland . The " Ben—my-Chree," the largest and fastest Channel steamer afloat, was employed as a seaplane carrier. She took out, amongst other things, the appliances which were used to sink the German warship "Konigsberg’ ‘ in the Cameroons River, steaming all the way from England to East Africa, including every stoppage for coaling, at a rate of over 22 knots. She was, unfortunately, sunk by Turkish gunfire when attached to the French naval forces on the coast of Asia Minor. Norman Wilkinson, in his book, " The Dardanelles," at page 108, shows the " Ben-my-Chree " at Kephalo.

The " Viking " was also a seaplane carrier, working for a long time in the North Sea, with Harwich as a base. She then went to the Near East, being engaged in surveying.

The " King Orry " formed one of the Armed Boarding Fleet on patrol near the Orkneys. On these duties she covered 53,000 miles and brought in several prizes. She was the sole representative of the mercantile marine at the surrender of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow, November 22nd, 1918. Jellicoe, in his " Grand Fleet," records that the destroyer "Christopher " was damaged by coming in collision with the armed boarding steamer " King Orry " in a fog. He further refers to the " King Orry " and the armed boarding steamer " Dundee " being disguised as merchant ships for operations off the Norwegian coast. It was thought that these vessels would be able to close with enemy and neutral vessels carrying contraband without exciting suspicion.

The " Snaefell " began as one of the Armed Triangle Patrol. Later, she was transferred to the Mediterranean station, where. after operating for several months, she was finally sunk by an enemy submarine.

The " Empress Queen " and " Mona’s Queen " were employed on transport duties, for which the Manx steamers were specially adapted. They carried troops between Southampton and Havre, the former being the biggest ~arrier and fastest vessel sailing between those ports. She was lost in a fog on the coast of the Isle of Wight.

The " Mona’s Queen " served throughout the War, and actually sank a German submarine, for which

Commander W. Cain and the crew were duly rewarded. The ‘ ~ Peel Castle " formed one of the famous Dover

Patrol. She was selected to tow captive observation balloons for the purpose of locating submarines. Her sister-ship, the "Ramsey", was sunk in the North Sea by the disguised German mine-layer, " Meteor." Jellicoe refers to the incident as follows :-"At 4 p.m. " Commodore Tyrwhitt, of the Harwich force, re‘ported that the German mine-layer ‘ Meteor,’ which "had been sighted by his vessels in the vicinity of the "Horn Reef, had been abandoned and sunk by her own crew, and that he had subsequently rescued four officers and 39 men, survivors of the armed boarding steamer ‘ Ramsey,’ who had been prisoners on boardthe ‘ Meteor.’ The ‘ Ramsey ‘ had been on patrol south-east of the Pentland Firth, and it was ascer"tamed from the survivors later that she had sighted and closed the ‘ Meteor, ‘ which was disgui~ed as a neutral merchant ship, shortly after daylight on ‘August 8th, with the intention of boarding her. On closing, however, the ‘ Meteor ‘ suddenly showed her true character; her powerful armament, hitherto concealed, opened a heavy fire on the ‘ Ramsey,’ which was returned by the latter ship’s greatly inferior armament of 12-pounder guns. But the surprise was too complete and the odds too heavy, and the ‘ Ramsey ‘ was sunk very quickly with her colours flying. four officers and 39 men out of a complement of 97 being picked up by the ‘ Meteor.’

The " Queen Victoria " and " Prince of Wales "were converted into anti-submarine craft at Barrow in 1915, and served in the North Sea. Later, they were sent to the Eastern Mediterranean for submarine duties. At Salonika they protected hospital ships and other vessels, and they were also present at the evacuation of Gallipoli. After proceeding up the Dardanelles to land troops to take over the Turkish forts, they went to Isuria to prepare a safe anchorage for the Allied Fleets.

The " Mona’ s Isle " was the boom ship of the Penzance Patrol.

VII.

All upheavals and disturbances result in dislocation. A great war must, of necessity, be followed, and, indeed accompanied, by much economic unsettlement, and the late war was no exception to this rule. As the scope of hostilities increased in magnitude, and the drain on the belligerent countries for men and supplies grew in proportion, so did economic difficulties present themselves. The manhood of the country was depleted for the fighting forces, and it was with the utmost difficulty that even the essential industries could be adequately staffed. Shortages of food, clothing, and other necessary articles became more and more acute as the war progressed, with the result that prices soared high. This increase in the cost of the everyday necessities of life, accentuated by the depreciation of the value of money, led to demands on the part of all employed classes for increased wages, and constant struggles arose between employer and employee in this direction.

During the War, labour in the Isle of Man had, to a large extent, become organized, branches of English Trade Unions, together with certain purely local organizations, having been formed. Properly con-trolled and regulated, such organizations may be help-ful to both employers and employees, but badly and unreasonably conducted they. benefit neither. In the Isle of Man the heads of the local unions were, as a rule, reasonable and businesslike men, capable of regarding matters from the standpoint of both em-ployer and employee.

The result of the formation of these local unions was the institution of Employers’ Federations, and, ultimately, the establishment of a Board of Arbitration for hearing disputes which arose between employers and employees’ organizations. The Board, which was convened by the Lieutenant-Governor, who received and promulgated its findings, consisted of three members appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor, four by the Employers’ Federation, and four by the Labour Union concerned in the dispute. This form of arbitration has since been adopted by the Government of Sweden.

On the 10th April, 1915, an Employment Exchange under the control of the Manx Government was established. In addition to the normal work of such an Exchange, there fell upon it the administration of the

Out-of-Work Donation Scheme, the Interrupted Apprenticeships Scheme, and many other emergency duties. The important task of paying the out-of-work donation to some three thousand claimants was by no means a small matter. An Advisory Committee " to "advise the manager on questions arising out of the scheme " was appointed on 2nd Decmber, 1918, first under the chairmanship of the late Receiver-General ( Mr. J. T. Cowell) , and later, on an enlarged basis, as under:— Mr. 0. Hughes-Games (Vicar-General), Chairman.

Mr. J. R. Drinkwnter (Crown Receiver), Vice-Chairman.

Nominated by the Employers’ Federation—Mr. F. Edniondson and Mr. J. Allen.

Nominated by the Isle of Man Farmers’ Union—Mr. W. F. Ooweil, M.}I.K., and Mr. R. H. Collister.

Nominated by the Manx Labour Party--Mr. Alf. Teare, M.H.K., Mr. Gee. Keig, Mr. John Christian, and Mr. W. C. Hudson.

Nominated by the Manx Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers Association—Mr. A. D. McEvoy and Mr. A. D. Kenna.

At a subsequent date (6th December, 1919) , Mr. J. R. Drinkwater was appointed chairman, and Mr. Alfred Teare, M.H.K., vice-chairman. A local committee, under the chairmanship of Mr. A. H. Teare, M.H.K., was set up for the Ramsey district. Up to May, 1920, the Committee had sat 115 times, the meetings usually occupying at least four hours. A minute issued by the Government Secretary, dated 17th May, 1920, contained :—

" The Lieutenant-Governor desires " to place on record his high appreciation of the excellent service rendered by the Advisory Committee and by the Committee established for the Ramsey District to advise the Manager of the Exchange. The gentlemen who accepted positions on these Committees had most arduous duties to perform, which involved the sacrifice of much time in the service of the public. The Lieutenant-Governor has much pleasure in announcing that the patriotic spirit which was displayed by the Committees in the discharge of their duties was such that the members declined to apply for certain allowances to be extended to them which members of similar Committees in the United Kingdom were granted."

Several of the members of the Committee must have suffered considerable financial loss through under-taking the duties which this work involved.

A grant of £13,000, voted by Tynwald with the object of assisting young men whose apprenticeships were interrupted by the war was most advantageous in helping the re-settlement of labour in the Island. About one hundred and fifty such apprentices took advantage of the conditions offered by the scheme. In addition, about one hundred and thirty ex-officers and men of education, who, prior to their joining the Services, were students in professions, were dealt with, and fully one-half were either placed in a new post or were given a training grant.

A Training Committee for Ex-Soldiers and Sailors was formed by the Lieutenant.Governor, under the chairmanship of Mr. Leigh Goldie-Taubman, M.H.K. Its functions were

(1) To institute and administer schemes for the industrial training of discharged and demobilized members of His Majesty’s Forces.

(2) To incur expenditure, in consultation with the Treasurer of the Isle of Man, out of votes which might, from time to time, be made by the Tynwald Court to finance such schemes.

(3) To disburse any other moneys that might be provided for the carrying out of such schemes.

*Mr W. Cubbon, formerly Librarian to the Corporation of Douglas, was appointed manager. His duties were exceedingly heavy through-out the war.

VIII.

The Isle of Man Constabulary had very onerous duties to perform throughout the War, and these at a time when the force was much depleted, owing to 35 per cent. of its strength being away on active service with the fighting forces. The Chief Constable, immediately on the outbreak of war, joined His Majesty’s Forces, and the command of the Constabulary devolved on Deputy Chief Constable J. T. Quilliam, who carried out his duties with marked success at a time when great tact and discretion had to be exercised.

In addition to the normal duties of the Constabulary, many war emergency Acts and regulations demanded enforcement by the Police. The Aliens Restriction Act, the Extinction of Lights Order, and the various Food Orders, made under the provisions of the Defence of the Realm Regulations, are illustrative of the kind of extra duties which devolved on the Force.

A large number of persons came to the Isle of Man for the purpose of visiting prisoners of war at the Internment Camps. Before a person was permitted to proceed to a Camp for this purpose a permit had to be obtained from Government Office; before a permit was issued certain questions had to be replied to on a printed form, and the police of the district on the Mainland in which the applicant resided furnished a confidential report on the applicant. All enemy aliens arriving in the Isle of Man by virtue of these permits were required to register themselves, on arrival, at the Police Station at Douglas, and if then travelling more than five miles, as would be the case for Knockaloe, had to obtain a permit from the police to do so.

Enemy aliens were only permitted to remain in the Island for seven days, during which period they were allowed three visits to the prisoner at the Camp, but no further permit was granted for entering the Island until a period of three months had elapsed. In certain approved cases, British-born and non-enemy born wives of prisoners were permitted to reside in the Island and to visit their husbands once in each fortnight. Persons who were not enemy aliens and who desired to visit prisoners could, under their permits, remain in the Island and visit on three occasions during a month. When the visitor arrived at the Camp, he or she interviewed the prisoner in the presence of a responsible official. At Knockaloe Camp this duty devolved on the Special Intelligence Officer.

The visiting room at Knockaloe Camp was the scene of many hundreds of visits, and much interesting and useful information was obtained on some of these occasions.

The important part which the Press played in the War renders it necessary for some observations to be made regarding what was done in this respect in the Isle of Man. At the outbreak of war, the Manx Press consisted of "The Isle of Man Times, " "The Isle of Man Examiner, " " Mona’s Herald, " the " Ramsey Courier, " and the "Peel City Guardian . " Of these, The Isle of Man Times " belonged to the Newspaper Proprietors’ Federation. Under the Defence of the Realm Regulations, it was not permissible for information to be circulated in the public Press which was cal-culated to be of assistance to the enemy, and a Press Bureau was instituted at Whitehall (at the Royal United Service Institution) for the purpose of instructing the Press as to what events and occurrences could properly be made public, the practice being for the Government Departments in London to furnish the Bureau with such information as was desired to be made known through the medium of the Press, and particularly of what should be withheld from publication.

Representations were made from the Manx Press, headed by "The Isle of Man Times, " to the effect that it was most inconvenient for them to submit to London, for approval, paragraphs for publication, which were of local interest, but which, at the same time, might contravene the Defence of the Realm Regulations unless passed by the Press Bureau. It was, therefore, arranged that the work which was undertaken by the Press Bureau in London should be conducted at Government Office, Douglas, so far as the Isle of Man newspapers were concerned, and the Press Bureau kept Government Office informed of the general policy. A room at Government Office was set aside for this purpose, and the duties of the staff also included general censoring and the disposal of matters connected with censoring at the Prisoner of War Camps, as referred by the Camp Censors from day to day.

The Manx Press were most loyal in abiding by the decisions as to what news should or should not be published, and it frequently happened that events of great public and local interest came to their notice, the pub-lication of which would have been most beneficial to the newspapers had they been able to supply the information.

At a late period in the War, prisoners interned at the Prisoner of War Camps in the Island were per-mitted to receive specified newspapers, this concession having been granted because British prisoners in the hands of the enemy had been afforded similar privileges. One of the newspapers permitted to enter Knockaloc Detention Camp was "The Isle of Man Times, " whose sale at Knockaloe was very large.

The local Press were indefatigable in their efforts to stimulate recruiting and assist the Authorities . In appreciation of the efforts made by "The Isle of Man Times " in this direction, Mr. George Brown, its sub-editor, was invited to pay two visits to the Front in France, which, on his return, he described in the columns of his newspaper. At a later date he was invited to visit the British Fleet at Rossyth.

Although his work was done outside the Isle of Man, mention must be made of Sir Hall Caine, K.B.E. , who devoted himself to propaganda work for the British Government. His efforts in this direction were rewarded by his being created a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. His son, Mr . G. R . Hall Caine, C . B . E . , was Deputy Paper Controller at the Ministry of Munitions.

IX.

On the 17th December, 1918, Lord Raglan, C.B. ,who had been Lieutenant-Governor of the Isle of Man for sixteen years, announced in Tynwald his impending resignation of the Governorship. On April 1st, 1919, he relinquished the appointment. On his retirement His Majesty the King conferred on him the Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire; His health throughout the period of the War had been far from good, and it was doubtless his great desire to do all that he could for his country during that critical period that made him remain in office, even to the detriment of his health. In the early stages of the war Lord Raglan was most energetic in addressing meetings throughout the Island, with the object of obtaming recruits for the army; week after week he would speak at such meetings, often not returning home until quite late at night. He took the keenest interest in the life of the Island, especially so in connection with anti-quarian pursuits and music. His departure came as a great blow to all who knew him; his fascinating personality, his sympathy and kind-heartedness had endeared him to everyone.

On the 1st April, 1919, Major-General William Fry, C . B . , C .V. O . (afterwards Sir William Fry, K. C .V. P., C.B.) , arrived in the Isle of Man to take over the governorship in succession to Lord Raglan.

*Before coming to the Isle of Man as Lieutenant-Governor, Lord Raglan had been Under Secretary of State for War between the years 1900 and 1902. He had served in the Grenadier Guards and was in the Afghan War, 1879-80. Later, he oomrnanded the Royal Monmouthshire Roya1 Engineers Militia.

*when appointed to the Governorship of the Isle of Man, Major-General William Fry was holding the appointment of Major-General in charge of administration in Ireland. He had previously compianded a Division, and had held the appointment of Deputy Director-General of the Territorial Force at the War Office. His service had included the Afghan War, 1979-80, and the South African War, 1899-1902. He had married the eldest daughter of the late Sir John Senhouse Goldie Taubman, who, for many years, was Speaker of the House of Keys.

X.

On July the 14th and 15th, 1920, the Isle of Man was graciously honoured with a visit from Their Majesties the King and Queen and Her Royal Highness Princess Mary. Mr. Shortt, Secretary of State for the Home Department, accompanied the Royal Party, and the Royal Suite consisted of the Countess of Minto, Lady Mary Trefusis, Lord Stamfordham (His Majesty’s Private Secretary) , Hon. Sir Derek Keppel, Colonel Clive Wigram, and Captain Sir Bryan Godfrey Faussett, R.N.

Owing to the stormy weather, it was impossible for the Royal Party to land at Douglas, as had been arranged, and the Royal Yacht and its escort proceeded to Ramsey Bay, where she came to anchor about two miles off the head of the Queen’s Pier. The Lieutenant-Governor and the Government Secretary, having motored to Ramsey, at once went on board to report to His Majesty, as ordered. The Royal Party came ashore about four p.m., and proceeded to Douglas by way of Laxey, to carry out the details of the official programme which had been arranged. On the Victoria Pier the King inspected the ex-service men, who paraded about four hundred strong, under Major F. C. Harris, M.C. , and Lieutenant H. B. Mylchreest, R.N.R. The members of the Legislative Council, the Speaker of the House of Keys, and the Chairman of the Harbour Commissioners were presented to the King by the Lieutenant-Governor. Their Majesties then proceeded to Villa Marina, where they were received at the entrance hall by the Mayor and Town Clerk. Upon the arrival of the Royal Party at Villa Marina, five thousand school children of the Borough of Douglas, who were drawn up in the grounds, sang the National Anthem, and then three cheers for the King were given, accompanied by the waving of flags by the children.

Inside Villa Marina, after the Royal Party had mounted the plaform, the Town Clerk read an address of welcome, which was handed to His Majesty by the Mayor, and an album containing views of the best known Manx scenery was presented to Princess Mary. After the King had replied to the address, the Lieutenant-Governor presented the Mayoress, the wives of the Town Clerk and the Deputy-Mayor, and the Aldermen and their wives. The members of the Town Council and their wives were present on the platform.

After leaving Villa Marina, tbe Royal Party pro-ceeded to the Nunnery, where Their Majesties honoured Lady Goldie-Taubman and Mr. Leigh Goldie-Taubman, M.H.K. , with their presence at tea. After tea the King invested Mrs Fry with the insignia of an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, which honour had already been conferred on her for service in connection with the military hospitals in Dublin . The Royal Party then went to Casitetown, by way of Kewaigue, Santon, and Ballasalla, the school children of those districts being drawn up at certain places along the route. At Castletown, the Lieutenant-Governor presented to the King the High-Bailiff of Douglas and Castletown and the Chairman and Clerk of the Town Commissioners. The ex-service men and school children of the district and the King William’s College Officers Training Corps were inspected by His Majesty. During the inspection, the Queen and Princess Mary visited Castle Rushen and signed the visitors’ book. The return journey to Ramsey was made by way of Douglas and Laxey, and the Royal Party arrived on board the Royal Yacht at about eight p.m.*

On the 15th July, Their Majesties and Princess Mary, with the suite in attendance, landed in Ramsey at about 11 a.m., and motored to the Town Hall, opposite which the ox-service men were drawn up, together with nurses, women war-workers, school children, and others, the route being lined by a Territorial unit in training at Milntown. The Chairman and Clerk of the Town Commissioners were presented to His Majesty, who then received an address from the Commissioners, to which the Secretary of State handed a reply. After the inspection of the ex-service men, who numbered about 200, and paraded under Captain J. F. Crellin, M . C . , the Royal Party proceeded along the Lezayre Road to Bishopscourt and Peel. School children were drawn up at Sulby Glen and Ballaugh under the Cap-tains of the Parishes. On arrival at Bishopscourt the Royal Party alighted and were received by the Lord Bishop and Mrs Denton Thompson ; after light refreshments, the grounds and chapel were visited. The King and Queen then planted two English oaks on the lawn, and Princess Mary planted a palm tree between the two trees. Again, at Michael, the school children were drawn up under the Captain of the Parish. Their Majesties then went on to Peel, where school children, numbering 350, sang the National Anthem and a verse of the Manx National Anthem. The Chairman and Clerk of the Commissioners were presented to His Majesty, and, after an inspection of the ex-service men and school children, Their Majesties proceeded to St. John’s. About 400 school children from the surrounding district were assembled at the foot of Tynwald Hill and sang the National Anthem on the arrival of the King and Queen, who proceeded on to the Hill, where Major J. H. Cowle, the Lieutenant-Governor’s Sword Bearer, was in attendance. The Royal Party remained about ten minutes on the summit of the hill, where His Excellency presented Major Cowle, who showed and described to His Majesty the ancient Sword of State.

From Tynwald Hill the Royal Party proceeded to Government House for luncheon, and afterwards a garden party in their honour was given by the Lieutenant-Governor. After luncheon, His Majesty conferred the K.C.V.O. on General Fry, the M.V.O. (4th Class) on the Government Secretary and the Chief Constable, and invested them with the insignia. The wives of the members of the Legislative Council and of the Speaker of the House of Keys having been presented to His Majesty in the large drawing-room, the Royal Party proceeded on to the lawn, where the members of the House of Keys and their wives and other officials were presented. The Royal Party left Government House at four p.m. and proceeded to Onchan, where the school children, holding bouquets of wild flowers, were drawn up under Mr. Callister, the headmaster. The Royal car stopped, and Mr. Callister was presented by His Excellency to His Majesty. The party then proceeded to Douglas harbour and embarked on board the Royal Yacht, which had come round to Douglas Bay in the mean-time. Owing to the state of the weather, a motor launch, steered by the Harbour Master of Douglas, Mr. George Kelly, was employed to take the Royal Party back to the yacht.

The people of the Isle of Man will long remember the 14th and 15th July, 1920, and cherish thoughts of loyal devotion to the King (Lord of Mann) , the Queen, and Princess Mary for their gracious kindness in coming to the Island.

*The "Court Circular " for July 14th contained : —" This evening the Lieutenant-Governor of the Isle of Man and Mrs Fry, the Bishop of Sodor and Man and Mrs Denton Thompson, the First Deemster and Mrs Stevenson Moore, the Second Deemster and Mrs Cheslyn Callow, the Attorney-General and Mrs Ring, the Speaker of the House of Keys and Mrs Clucas, and the Government Secretary and Mrs Bertram Sargeaunt had the honour of being invited to dinner with their Majesties, but were unavoidably prevented from obeying their Majesties’ commands on account of the Royal yacht having left Douglas Bay.