Royal Military College of Canada - Review Yearbook (Kingston, Ontario Canada)

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I94 R.M.C. Review lose, he would not call it loyalty, for that was not a word which was applicable to the case. but the affection which we ought certainly to gain. Undoubtedly, Churchill must be credited for his astuteness in selecting the right man for what he saw was an important post. It is evident, however, that it was not only as an engineer but also as an ambassador of goodwill that Sir Percy justified the conHden-ce placed in him. British East Africa C1909-123 One must turn again to the pages of history to fully appreciate Sir Percy's contributions in British East Africa. From Sir Iames Hayes Sadler he took over the appointment of Governor and Commander-in-Chief, East Africa Protec- toratev in 1909. Later known as Kenya, it had been transferred from the Foreign to the Golonial Office in 1905. At that time the influx of whites and also Indians had reached such propor- tions that serious troubles had arisen between them and the natives, which the administration was called upon to settle. As an authority puts it: Sir Percy Girouard C1909-123 achieved the somewhat difficult task of working harmoniously with the settlers whose grievances then were chiefly over the delay in getting land grants, but who were already beginning to claim a share in the Govern- ment. Somewhat more forthright is the following account from a book by Lord Granworth, Profit and Sport in British East Africa, speaking of Sir Percy Girouard, he says: His wide sympathy, broad views and courageous policy cut many of the bonds which had bade fair to strangle the country at its birth, and she was started in a career of prosperity from which she is never likely to look back. During his reign the views of all classes received careful considleration, com- munications were improved, labour was ,provided in quality and quantity to the satisfaction of white and native alike, and the previous attitude of entire subservience to the Colonial Office received a considerable check. Sir Percy Girouard left a name which grows increasingly bright as time goes ong and many of those who did not always see eye to eye with his policy have found that time and reiiection prove that they themselves were in the wr-ong. To form some idea of the problems with which he was faced one should read White Man's Country - Lord Delamere and the Making of Kenyan by Huxley U935, Macmillanl. Of the many testimonials which were published when he relinquished his apointment, only the following from Pritchard's Memoir', is reproduced here, these are the words of the Treasurer in his Government who later became a distingushed Governor himself: Sir Percy speedily realized the importance of getting away from Imperial 'Treasury control'. When he took over the Government the budget was balanced by means of a grant-in-aid from Imperial funds, and because of this the Imperial Treasury insisted on maintaining the closest supervision over the finances of the Protectorate. The annual estimates had to be approved in detail by the Imperial Treasury as well as by the Colonial Office. no new appointment or revision of salaries were possible without Treasury consent, and this all meant vexatious delay in getting anything done which involved the spending of any sum of money however small. Sir Percy overhauled the estimates of each Department in the minutest detail and 'Em-yr-loymeflaia Britamiirfa, 1950, Vol. 13. D. 334.

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1961 193 was always accessible to information and the opinions of everybody he met. Many of his ideas were novel and to a Colonial staff radical. He proceeded in his own way, ignoring precedent. It is not only as an engineer and a military commander that Girouard is associated with the prosperity which that country has enjoyed for over half a century. Soon after his arrival, he reviewed the whole question of land tenure, one of the most important problems facing the Administration at that time. When his recommendations were finally adopted by the Colonial Office, the natives were assured of possession of their land, the denial of the right to buy and sell land excluded the European speculator. It would be beyond the scope of these notes to repeat all the tributes that have been paid to Girouard in connection with his Nigerian post. It seems desirable, however, to place the following on record. In the Dictionary of National Biography H913-40, p. 342-Sl, we read: The railway has been a governing factor in the development of Nigeria and has been described as the cheapest, most rapid, and in every way, the most satisfactory line in tropical Africa CLord Lugard in The Dual Mandate in British Tropical Africa, p. 4883. Girouard took a keen interest in the conditions of land tenure in Northern Nigeria and it was due to his initiative that the Northern Nigeria lands committee was constituted in 1908, followed by legislation which virtually national- ized the lands of Northern Nigeria and provided a model for land policy in other African territ-ories. These principles are well summarized by him in the 1909-10 Colonial Report for the British East African Protectorate. Historically, Girouardis jurisdiction of Northern Nigeria marked the end of a pioneering and the beginning of a development period. From the official record of that day it may be instructive to quote what he had to say about the administration of this vast area of 250,000 square milesf: The most important question of policy was that of our attitude toward the Native rulers. The condition of Native administration varies very much. It can be seen at its best in s-ome of the Mohammedan States, at its very lowest in the primitive Pagan and cannibal communities. In the Mohammedan States one ruler frequently is found dealing with the affairs of from 100,000 to 2,000,000 people. It cannot be denied that the administration here is primitive and at times -oppressive, but it is neverthe- less traditional. Without its presence it would have been quite imposisble to administer the country. The whole result is that the Mohammedan States are to-day safe to travel over unescorted in any direction. In the Pagan districts the conditions vary greatly from a c-ollection of tribes with a paramount chief to small communi- ties of troglodytes and cannibals. For the future every endeavour will be made to combine peoples of similar race and language under paramount chiefs of their own choosing and to stamp out the internal contiicts which were depleting their numbers even more rapidly than slave-raiding. On relinquishing his appointment to become Governor of British East Africa, he is reported? to have said, at a farewell dinner: There was need of patience in dealing with the natives. If they attempted to frog-march those people over bridges of centuries in a few short years, we would 'Colonial Office Blue Book 1907-S. p. 41. -3-Proceedings RMC Club, 1909, p. 165-6.

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1961 195 explored every possible source of revenue with the result that before his retirement in 1912 he had been able to present balanced budgets, abolish the- grants-in-aid and to adjust the Protectorate's finances so that the Imperial Treasury was eliminated as a controlling factor. This was a great achievement, and the way in which he carried out his investi- gations and the remarkable quickness with which he appreciated the position and spotted where economies could be effected without loss of efficiency was a constant source of admiration to myself and my staff .... Socially he was a delightful host with a keen sense of humour. He was deeply interested in the social life of the Protectorate and took part in many forms of sport. Apparently, he gave a trophy to be competed for in Soccer football and the C'iroua:rd Cupv is probably still a feature of that game in Kenya to-day. Retirement and Epilogue By this time Cirouard had served in the North, the South, the West and the East of what was then known as the Dark Continentii. His wisdom and foresight in the handling of problems there are evident in this .statement of his quoted only last year in an American maga21ine': If we allow the tribal authority to be ignored or broken, it will mean that we . . . shall be obliged to deal with a rabble, with thousands of persons in a savage or semisavage state, all acting on their own impulses and making themselves a danger to society generally. It was the purpose of these notes to trace only the career of this distinguished Canadian up to the date of his retirement fom the Army. This coincided with his resignation as Governor in East Africa in july 1912. At that time Lady Girouard was prevented from spending much time at Covernment House in Nairobi due to her health. There was also the schooling of his son' to consider. Moreover, in spite of his own vitality and his disregard of the African climate, the latter had not disregarded him. In due course, he retired into private life and spent the rest of his years in England. He died in London on September 26, 1932 at the age of 65. For many years Sir Percy had been the senior Knight Commander of his Order, having been knighted at ia relatively ea-rly age. Soon after he died a simple ceremony was held at St. Paul's Cathedral in the Chapel of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. Georgev at which a plaque to his memory was unveiled. This is the story of a man who left behind him a record in the Public Service which it is hard to equal. It is a record that can scarcely fail to be a matter of pride and inspiration to Canadians and to ex-cadets of the Royal Military College, no matter where they find themselves in the world today. 'The Hopeful Launching of a Proud and Free Nigeria . Life, September 26, 1960. Richard Desire, an only son, survives in England.