Honors List

The King-Emperor's list of New Year's honors, issued last week, conspicuously failed to honor any scientist, writer, artist or musician. It was a bread-and-butter list exclusively rewarding services to the state.

Sir James Craig, Premier of Northern Ireland, staunch opponent of Irish home rule, received the Viscountcy of Craigavon.* Sir Joseph Duveen, international art broker, who has just presented nine new sections to the Tate Gallery in London, received the meagre reward of a baronetcy./-

King Feisal of Irak and Miles Lampson, the new British Minister to China, were created Grand Commanders of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George. Numerous other distinctions were conferred upon men of little transatlantic interest. Finally Sir Hugh Trenehard was appointed Marshal of the Royal Air Force, a rank never before bestowed and the air equivalent of "Admiral of the Fleet" or "Field Marshal."

Sir James Craig is the first and only Premier of contemporary Northern Ireland (1920 et seq.). Paradoxically his father and mother were of pure Scotch descent. He was educated at Edinburgh, but rushed off to the Boer War with the Royal Irish Rifles, and returned to become first an Irish politician, then a British M. P., later the organizer of the 36th Ulster Division during the World War, subsequently Treasurer of the Household (1916) and then Financial Secretary to the Admiralty (1920).

He resigned that office and his seat in the British Parliament to become Premier of Northern Ireland, in which post he has continued ever since. The Education Act and the Licensing Act of Northern Ireland stand to his credit; and his administration has dealt quietly and successfully with numerous outcroppings of the obstreperous Irish temperament. Finally he assisted Premier Baldwin to push to completion the agreement (TIME, Dec. 14, 21, 1925) that finally resolved all outstanding territorial and financial questions between the Mother Country, Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State.

*His old home, a suburb of Belfast.

/- Baronetcy is the lowest hereditary distinction. Knights, except Knights of the Garter, are outranked by baronets, who are outranked by barons. Knights and baronets are technically "commoners" ; but bear the title "Sir." Not all who belong to the orders of chivalry are, however, knights; and those of the lower orders accordingly bear no title. But even the lesser of those who bear orders of chivalry have the distinction of outranking Sergeants at Law, Masters in Lunacy and Esquires.