TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15016, 10 July 1914, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Royal Picture Patrons.

Tho latest testimonial to tho excellence of the cinematograph comes from the Brooklyn "Motion Picture Magazine," which enumerates tho number of royalties, who are picturo enthusiasts, who have in many cases provided themselves with private cinemas for the entertainment of themselves and their families. King Georgo V., after seeing "Quo Vadis?" in London, had a miniature picture theatre erected at Buckingham Palace, chiefly for the benofit, from an educational point of view, of his children. Tho Kaiser has also had a theatre built in tho Potsdam Palace, whoro he entertains distinguished guests. Characteristically, the films shown usually deal with the doings of Wilhelm 11. Tho Christmas before last he published a volume entitled "The Kaiser on Film," in which ho was pictured in all of his varied activities. Carmen Sylva, of Rumania, not only has a picture theatre in the Pelesn Castlo at Sinai and a company providing her with the very latest achievements of cinematography, but enjoj-s the pleasure of dramatising her own novels in picture form. She also has engaged a special photographer to film the private life in the palace and its estates from day to day, the resulting pictures being displayed on the Royal cinematograph. Tho ex-Sultan of Morocco, Mulai Abdul Aziz, is an ardent devote© of tho moving picture. After witnessing tho pictures (in natural colours) of tho Coronation 'and tho Durbar, he immediately had himself instructed in tho technique of natural colour photography, and. forthwith ordered for his Algiers residence a* complete installation of . tho apparatus, a camera, and a eomprehensivo library of films. But the champion Royal 1 picture enthusiast is undoubtedly King Alfonso of Spain. Until quite recently ho used to keep four Court photographers at his various palaces, and now he has attached an operator permanently at tho palace at Madrid, where ho has converted a billiard-room into a picture theatre. Tho Khedive, tho Tsar of Russia, and the new President of China have not, so far, been heard of as moving-picture enthusiasts, but this, the writer thinks, must bo becauso proper enquiries have not yet been made in those quarters.

Comedies of the Post. Mr Marriott Watson wrote an amusing story of a woman posting a highly disturbing letter to a man, and then repenting of her action. She asked a man friend to help her, and he was driven to calling on tho other man at breakfast next morning, and stealing the letter from his mail' under his very nose. But if the English Post Office had a regulation similar to the Australian the lady . might have recovered her letter by an appeal to tho authorities. Tho Sydney "Sun" relates some interesting instances of tho operation of this regulation. It sometimes happens in business that a letter meant for Brown is posted to Smith, and vice versa. If i tho mistake is discovered in time, the | Post Oflico will restoro tho letters to | tho sender. But the Post Office has to be satisfied as to the applicant's bona fides. An Australian girl, who rejected a proposal by letter, and then, thinking better of her resolution, rushed off to the Post Office to got her letter back, showed such agitation, and behaved so suspiciously, that the authorities, to her great embarrassment, read the letter. Fortunately, the official who opened it was tho father of daughters, and, dealt with the caso sympathetically. Many comedies arise out of the mistake of putting letters into wrong envelopes. A clerk in a city firm received an invitation to go fishing, acceptance of which would mean several days' absence from work. Froiu a chum, who was a doctor without much conscience, ho obtained a medical certificate, and then posted the certificate to his firm, and an acceptance to the person who had asked him. That is, ho meant to do this, but he really sent the letter of acceptance to his firm, aud tho certificate to his friend. Tho friend, mystified at first by the receipt of the certificate, realised what had happened, and rung him up, and the deceiver, after finding out from the Post Office that the letter to the firm had been delrvsred, rushed to the offico and intercepted it just in time. The fright he got left him with no desire to go fishing. But the Department says that requests for return of letters aro not so numerous as complaints about non-delivery. A great deal of time is spent in enquiring into cases in which husbands, having forgotten to post their wives' letters, either carry them about in their pockets, or have destroyed them and put tho blame on the Post Office. I