LONDON LETTER

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 98, 24 January 1928, Page 9

LONDON LETTER

POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE WARMING UP

BRITAIN’S NEW AIR LINER

London, December 1. ; Although all parties found themselves in happy agreement over the India Statutory Commission, and Sir John Simon will embark on his difficult and delicate task with the pleasant consciousness- that he has a practically unanimous Westminster behind him, the political atmosphere is undoubtedly warming up. Southend and Canterbury havd put fresh heart into the Liberals. They slightly improved their position at Southend, which was all they could expect against a candidate so popular as Lady Iveagh, but at Canterbury, a Conservative stronghold for generations, they did infinitely better than they could have, expected. The transfer of votes was on a formidable scale, and if anything like the same transfer takes place at a general election in other county constituencies, Liberalism will becme the representative of agricultural interests. It seems clear that farmers are thoroughly dissatisfied with the attitude of the Government towards agriculture, and they expressed that dissatisfaction by voting for the Liberal candidate at Canterbury. It remains, however, to be seen whether, when the general election actually comes along, they will be prepared to give support to the Liberal laud policv. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald carried the Parliamentary Labour Party with him in his support of the Statutory Commission, but he only secured that decision after a sharp struggle with his Left Wing. The position with the Labour Party is becoming more and more strained. Although Mr. MacDonald got his wav, his authority was' openly flouted in the House by members of the Left Wing. lam sorry to say that Mr. MacDonald’s health is the cause of some anxiety. He will have to take things as easily as possible for some months to come, and he is thus handicapped in maintaining his control as leader.

Coming Developments.

The differences in the Labour Party are naturally being watched with great anxiety by the other parties, for their fortunes will all be affected in different ways should the Labour divergencies become an open split, or should the party pull together again. The question of economy is for the moment the principal problem of the Conservative Party. A number of backbenchers are getting seriously alarmed at the absence of any indication that expenditure, and consequently taxation, are likely to be reduced in the near future. Warnings are beginning to reach them frpm the constituencies as to the imperative necessity of doing something in that direction, and if Mr. Churchill’s Budget next spring does not show a substantial lightening of our financial burden, he will find himself in serious trouble with a large number of his supporters. He is indeed straining every nerve to bring down expenditure, but his efforts so far have not been attended with complete success. While this revival of political activity is a sign of health m .the body politic, it is pleasant to record that in the industrial world controversial activities arc on the wane, and this, in the sphere of industry, is a sign of health. The acceptance by the T.U.C. of the employers’ proposal for a conference to consider the general question of the promotion of industrial welfare and industrial peace, is a striking step, which mav have farreaching results, both politically and industrially. It means that the trades unions are more and morp turning away from ideas of political action, and are concentrating on more practical issues. This attitude on the part of the T.U.C. must react on the Labour Prfrty, and the next twelve months may see sqpie very interesting political developments. Yuletide Decorations. Christmas trees in wonderful shades of blue, gold, bronze, red, and silver will form novelties at many Christmas ' parties this year. Already at Covent Garden market are to be seen many of these highly-coloured trees standing out in vivid relief from masses of dark foliage. A member of a large firm of Christmas foliage dealers said that these coloured trees are an entirely new line which had not be.en sold in any quantity before.' “They are spray-painted in cellulose,” he explained, “and we are marketing a large number of them this year. They were brought out chiefly for jhop window display, but we find the public are buying them. .They can be produced in several colours, including silver, blue, gold, bronze, red and bright green.” While misletoe, is as plentiful as ever this year, holly . is somewhat scarce, but is well-berried. Mistletoe does not vary much. There are the usual supplies this year with plenty of barries. The bulk of it comes from Brittany. The dealers are selling only British Christmas trees. There are ample supplies, and the big trees are good. Prices should be a trifle cheaper than last year; then about 48,000 trees passed through their hands, but this year they hope to have between 60,000 and 70,000, including 5000 to 10,000 coloured trees. Holly “roping”—holly and evergreens done up in roping about six inches thick—is plentiful and in very good condition at normal prices. There was very little holly or mistletoe to be seen on outside stands in Covent Garden, but in the huge warehouses there were hundreds of cases of holly with innumerable berries ready to be dispatched to shopkeepers all over the country. Presents For All.

People in London are doing their Christmas shopping earlier, following the example of the Queen, whose shopping movements in the West End have been chronicled during the past week or two. This result is a triumph of persuasion, for Christmas shopping does not come naturally in November, and all the shop windows of Bond Street, filled though they are with suitable gifts from calendars to jewellery cannot produce the authentic Christmas feeling. 'lips from pantomime, hints from the oldfashioned circus, and a great manv theatrical effects have been adapted to make the tov shops sufficiently up to date to satisfv the display experts and the modern child. Christmas bazaars, as compared with the toy' shops of a generation ago, are a series of elaborate productions, "and neither originality nor money has been spared to make them impressive and entertaining. Many of the bazaar assistants are in fancy dress this season, and some of them masquerade as domestic animals. There is one poor fellow, who lives in a full-length elephant mask all dav long, but. fortunately lie sits. Still more amusing is the special children’s revue in one bazaar, staged in a litle theatre for the entertainment of tiny’ shoppers. There are child performers, and a Father Christmas who conies along and in the last act gives awav small tokens. Most of the shons have set aside separate tearooms for-children and provide some sort of amusement with the refreshments. A Stately Brule.

The marriage of Lord Nunburnholme and Lady Mary Thynne, who was bridesmaid both to Princess Mai® and the

Duchess of York, in the old grey church of St. Margaret’s, Westminster, was the most fashionable wedding of the year. Lady Mary made a very stately bride in her rather severe gown of iyory ring velvet, adapted from an early .fourteenth century picture, long skirted and touched with embroidery which gleamed in the grey lights. Her magnificent train, several yards in length, was also of velvet, inlaid with silver in Gothic arch design and lined throughout with silver lame, while her auburn hair shone through the veil of old family lace which was held in position by close-set sprays of orange blossom. There were no grown-up bridesmaids, just half-a-dozen children—three boys and three girls—the latter being the Hon. Cynthia Keppel, bliss Lavinia Shaw-Stewart, and Miss Marie Wilson, who wore old-world long frocks of silver lame, with wreaths 'of forget-me-nots and crystal leaves on. their hair. The small boys—Martin Stanley, the bride’s nephew, Peter Rolla, and Lord and Lady Plunket’s son, Patrick—were dressed as heralds in white silk trunk hose, with silver tabards bearing family crests. The white and silver simplicity of the wedding group was well set off inside the church, with its masses of golden-heart-ed lilies and glittering lights. Princess Mary and the Duchess lof York are both out of town, otherwise they would probably have attended the wedding. Their gifts, with that of the King and Queen, were among the many presents on view in one of the long reception rooms at Grosvenor Square, where the Marchioness of Bath held a reception. The King and Queen sent a ruby and diamond pendant with the Royal cipher, Viscount Lascelles and Princess Mary sent an antique white lacquer clock, and the Duke anfl Duchess, of York’s gifts were a diamond circle brooch and a shagreen inkstand. Britain’s Air Liner. The RlOO now being built for the Air Ministry will be the largest and most powerful air vessel, nearly twice the size of any Zeppelin. The most wonderful part, perhaps, is the arrangement for accommodating the passengers and crew’. Just forward of the centre of the framework a miniature hotel will be constructed into the ship which is four “stories” high. On what mav be called the ground floor, which projects slightly below the keel of. the ship, will be the control and navigating room, while the second floor will be reserved for the crew, accommodation being reserved for 50 men. The two top floors have been equipped to provide living accommodation and amusement for 100 passengers. On the third floor is a dining-room which, when cleared, provides a smooth, danc-. ing floor. On long trans-Continenta. . flights passengers will dance in . thisaerial ballroom to wireless music picked* up from the broadcasting stations off; various countries. Kitchens and two and four-bunk berths are also to be found on this floor, while on either side ’is a long, broad verandah. Ail tne hundred passengers can be seated on these verandahs, which are quite wea-ther-proof, the whole of the sides or, the airship being covered in glass to allow an open. view of the country over which the ship is flying. The top-story contains the remaining berths and a lounge, from which passengers can look down into the dining-room and, ballroom. The framework of the shipl is virtually comlpeted, and a large, part of the outer covering is ready for fixing to the frame. The first gasbag, the largest ever made, will be ready; next week. It is hoped that the ship. . will be completed next April. It wilt, cost all told, £450,000, and on this basis the ’passenger fare for a transatlantic-i ■ flight would be £lOO. This compares , favourably with £125- charged by some . ocean liners, and, in addition, the journey from London to New York would ' be'made in forty-eight hours. Edinburgh’s New Freeman.

Sir Harry Lauder , has had the" freedom of proud Edinburgh conferred upon him. The academic ififluence there is very strong, and there was some demur from both the highbrows and the lowbrows, although he was knighted by the King for his services during the war. But . better counsels prevailed, and now Sir Harry is a freeman of his native city. He had a great reception, and thoroughly appreciated the tribute. Probably Sir Harrv Lauder has given more joy to people of all classes than any other living man. A multitude has delighted in his tuneful melodies and his quaint mannerisms. He has drawn a circle of innocent merriment around the earth. Wherever he has gone his fellow-Scotsmen have enthnsiasticallv acclaimed him, and others have joined in the demonstration of welcome. His freshness, his humour, his bon-homie, have captivated multitudes. He possesses a downright genius for entertainment. He speaks pathetically of the old stern davs when he laboured in the mills and in the mines, but with an earnest supplication to men to do their utmost in anv lot to which they are called. His early struggles did not sour him. Despite the loss of his only son in the war, and the recent death of his wife, he still carries a cheerful heart and a sound understanding. His command over his audiences is so pronounced that. by suddenly* ceasing his Scottish ditties and singing a hymn he can ensure a hushed and respectful silence.. . A personality and’ an oratorical ability such as his might have reaped high 'reward had he entered upon a political career, but one may doubt whether in that role he could have proved more useful.