By mid-1946 it was clear that Aung San was the most popular and powerful political figure in Burma. Newspaper articles about about his activities were written about him on a daily basis, in which he was often called "the hero of Burmese youth" and a "national hero". By the time that the new Governor General of Burma, Sir Hubert Rance arrived in Burma on 6 September 1946 the country was in the middle of a general strike, which the governor was only able to end through the intervention of Aung San.