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Sir Donald MacKenzie Wallace

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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"SIR DONALD MACKENZIE WALLACE (1841-1919), British author and journalist, was born Nov. 11 1841, the son of Robert Wallace of Boghead, Dumbartonshire. He was educated at the universities of Edinburgh, Berlin and Heidelberg and at the Ecole de Droit, Paris. Even in his Edinburgh days he spent his vacations abroad and became proficient in modern languages, and when he completed his legal studies at Heidelberg he was already 28 years of age and was contemplating a career as a German professor in comparative law. He was, however, invited by a friend to visit Russia, and became so much interested that he remained there for six years. His Russia (1877), a volume dealing comprehensively with the country, had a great success, and was at once recognized as a classic; it was translated into many languages and was revised and reissued by its author both in 1905 and 1912. Shortly after its first appearance Mackenzie Wallace became correspondent of The Times in Petrograd; in 1878 he was moved in a similar capacity to Berlin, thence to Constantinople, and after the battle of Tel-el-Kebir (1882) to Egypt. From 1884-9 he was in India as private secretary to the Viceroy, Lord Dufferin, and to his successor, Lord Lansdowne. He accompanied the Tsarevich Nicholas during his Indian tour 1890 - I and the Duke of Cornwall (afterwards George V.) during his colonial tour in 1901. From 1891-9 he was director of the foreign department of The Times. In 1899 he undertook the editorship of the New Volumes (issued in 1902 as the 10th edition) of the Encyclopedia Britannica, which had been projected by The Times as a supplement to the 9th edition, with Dr. A. T. Hadley, then president of Yale University, as his American co-editor; but he felt somewhat overpowered by his task, and after April 1900, when Mr. Hugh Chisholm was brought in by The Times to assist his labours, Sir Donald left the editorial work in the sole charge of his younger colleague. He was made by Edward VII., with whom (as with Queen Victoria) he had long been on confidential terms, one of his official household, and was also included in that of George V. He had been created K.C.I.E. in 1887, and was made K.C.V.O. in 1901. In addition to his book on Russia he published Egypt and the Egyptian Question (1883) and The Web of Empire (1902). He died at Lymington Jan. io 1919. A thorough diplomat of wide culture and personal charm, and one of the most remarkable linguists (speaking some twenty languages) and raconteurs of his time, he was also one of the most modest and unselfish of men. He was probably better informed than any other man of his day in the secret history of international politics, but he was also discretion personified in using his knowledge. One of his last important pieces of work for The Times was in 1905 at the Peace of Portsmouth (N.H., U.S.A.), which he attended as its correspondent, and he was able there to give valuable advice, in carrying the negotiations to a successful issue, to the Russian delegates, with whom he exercised considerable authority.