LONDON CLUB LIFE

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 132, 5 June 1923, Page 8

LONDON CLUB LIFE

HAUNTS OF PROFESSIONAL MEN NOT A SOCIAL LUXURY. . Among the institutions which keep the machinery of Empire moving smoothly are London clubs. Not a few Australians have enjoyed the privilege of honorary membership during their stay in England, writes the London correspondent of the Melbourne "Argus." Others have visited them, as guests of a member. Every Englishman of position has his club, where he may lunch, or turn in for an hour or two after the day's work is done, to exchange political gossip, or read the reviews and magazines. Before the war many Londoners belonged to three or four clubs, but nowadays a club is. a professional necessity, not a social luxury, and a man only pays a subscription to a club which gives him value for money. The British Empire Club, in St. James's square, is the principal Australian haunt. Most of the. Dominion High Commissioners and Agents-General are members; it is seldom than an Australian table cannot be found there at lunch time or in the dinner hour. The leading. officials at. Australia • House are also members of the British Empire Club, and a, certain number of business men in the Anglo-Australian world, though these are more generally to be found at one of the city dining clubs, such as the' City Liberal.

: Diplomatists and members of the English Civil Service < joint the St. James's, which specialises in Ambassadors. Even more exclusive is the Athenaeum, with its fine clubhouse in the square at the corner of Pall Mall and Begent street, which is exactly the sam« size at the Parthenon at Athens, and. is decorated with a sculptured frieze reproducing the carvings of the famous! temple. There was a time when it took 15 or 20 years to become a member of .the Athenaeum, go long was the waiting Jist of eligible "high brows." A candidate has still to wait about four years, but the Athenaeum committee elect a certain number of eminent people, such as Cabinet members and bishops, at any time. Sir James Barrio and Kipling ara members. It used to be a favoured haunt of Sir George Reid, who was very proud of, his membership of the Athe- ] naeum. | . THE POLITICAL CLUBS. : | ■■ There are five outstanding political clubs in London, the' biggest being the Constitutional, which welcomes the Conservative rank and file, and the National Liberal, which'does the same service, for Liberal and Radical politicans. More exclusive is the Carlton, where all Conservative peers and , Conservative members of Parliament have ,the privilege of coming first to .the ballot. The Beform, which was Thackeray's club, used to treat Liberal peers and Commoners with similar generosity, but it ig rapidly losing its pohtcial character, owing to the small number of Liberal politicians who require; a .fiist-rate, and, therefore, an expensive'club. Many Commoners belong, to'the "St. .-Stephens', a little club in Whitehall, Which is joined to Parliament : House" by'a subterranean passage. The House'of Commons, however, itself, has; the'reputation of being ' the "best club in London," and the hun-1 dred or more Labour, members are cbn- ! tent with the facilities , offered by (the j smoking and dining rooms in the House I of Commons. ' ' ' I

As a clubhouse, the House of Commons is suffering from the "Pussyfoot" tendencies.,of, many '.members -.elected in 1922., It is-estimated that three-quar-ters of the 144 Labour members are teetotallers; indeed the Kitchen Committee is actually contemplating an increase in the .price of foodstuffs to -make up for the decreased consumption of intoxicants On the contrary, the Labour members are pleading for a restoration of the famous shilling dinner, which was a, feature of the House of Commons in prewar times. Today the "House" dinner is as 6d; Labour members say'they have no liking for fancy dishes, such as lemon sole Itahenne or coffe scuffle. They would prefer a choice of beef and mut- *?"> two vegetables, and a plain pudding, bob dinner, is a pofent political cry at the moment in St. Stephen's

AUTHORS AND JOURNALISTS. Apart from, the leaders in the world of letters, who' are specially honoured by election to the Athenaeum or the.Reform, authors and journalists belong to a*u - plufa. m Piccadilly, or the Authors ,„ Whitehall Court. Both were founded by Sir Walter Besant, at a time when the denizens of Grub street had a less recognised position in society than literary men have to-day. Sir Gilbert Parker, who has not forgotten his Australian > citizenship, Is chairman of the authors executive committee and frequently presides at the famous Monday night house dinners, at which literary political, and scientific men are enter--.tained from time to time. The Authors' Llub has a large overseas membership, and includes a number of Australian writers, especially university men. The Savile Club is ,celebrating its jubilee at the moment. Its particular pride is its sociability, in token whereof all the members dine at two long tables, instead of at the small tables generally favoured in London clubhouses. These small tables always, excite the interest of clubmen from other lands, who cannot understand the Englishman's desire to rdino in silence, often with a newspaper propped in front of his plate. There is a story told of an American who was an .honorary member of a. London club, and dropped in one evening for a meal. After a while the silence in the long room, with its scores of small tables, got upon the American's nerves. He called the waiter and asked:—

"Don't they ever smile here?" "Yes," replied the waiter, "we have complaints sometimes." Needless to say, neither the Savile nor the Authors' Club was the scene of this anecdote. Still less would it apply to the Press Club, in Salisbury Square, Fleet, street, or the Savage Club, Adelphi. The Savage Club; and'the Gairick, which is the meeting place of. actors, preserve more of the Bohemian spirit of SO years ago than any of the London clubs. ART AND SOCIETY. The Chelpea Arts' Club is the recognised meeting place of the Australian art colony in London, including such men as Sir Bertram Mackennal, ,G. W. Lambert, A.R.A., George Coates, Frank Loist, and others who represent Australia at the Royal Academy exhibitions. The Royal Societies Club caters for men of science, while >the United Service, in Pall Mall, draws its membership from military and naval men; Here may be found the sons of Juflga Gaunt, Sir Guy and Sir Ernest Gaunt, who represent Australia in the Imperial Navy. The Junior United Service caters for officers of a grade below that of admiral or general. The Guards Club and Cavalry Club are social, rather than professional, in their appeal. Among the purely social ,clubs, the Turf claims pre-eminence by reason of its exclusiveness. There are only 575 members of the Turf. Men have spent thousands of pounds over horse-racing in vain atempts to qualify for membership of the Turf Club. Brooks' was once a famous Whig haunt, but is now non-poli-tical., and its membership is largely made up of members of old aristocratic families. White's, witfi its subscripi Uouqf 20 guineas, appeals to wealthy,

men, as does the Orleans Club, which boasts the best table in London clubland, though the Beefsteak, another exclusive club, is a rival in this respect. Boodle's is the chosen haunt of country gentlemen and other large landed proprietors. The Marlborough, which was founded by King Edward, is the club of the Court, and is a place where the Prince of Wales may be found at times, though he is not .a devotee to clubland, as was his grandfather. The Bachelors' and the Bath Club appeal to the younger men, but both have a long waiting list, and membership is regarded' as a privilege, the Bath Club, in particular, offering facilities which are to be found in no club in London, with the possible exception of the Automobile. This is the biggest and least exclusive of all the London clubs, which practically anyone may join if he pays a moderate entrance fee and subscription. \