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The quiet of the mid-1920s was broken for a brief moment by Samuel's resignation and the appointment, in 1925, of Field Marshal Lord Plumer, formerly governor of Malta, as his successor. A non-Zionist, Plumer "adhered rigidly to the status quo," and was remembered for his correctness. But he kicked off his term of office with something of a faux pas. At a Jewish sports meeting in Tel Aviv, Plumer, flanked by his daughter, stood up for "God Save the King," and continued standing when the band went on to play HaTikvah, the Zionist (and subsequently Israel's national) anthem. An Arab delegation came to complain. But when he asked, "By the way, have you got a national anthem?" the delegation fell silent. "In that case," Plumer concluded, "I think you had better get one as soon as possible."