In the Public Eye

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 153, 26 December 1936, Page 8

In the Public Eye

The following letters have been exchanged between Lord' Runciman, the 89-year-old ship owner,; and Sir Samuel Hoare, First Lord of the Admiralty:— ./- . : '• ; ■ . My dear Sir Samuel Hoare, Regarding your • suggestion that yacht owners and yachtsmen should become attached to a naval reserve, I think it. a fine, original idea, and would like to have particulars of your plan. If the conditions are not prohibitory—age limit, for one —I would like to join. I am in my 90th year, but can still handle a big or small .sailing vessel, mend or fake a sail and. handle a marlinspike; but have no testimonials, so would have to be taken on trust! Anyway, I wish you and your n?.val policy complete success. Yours faithfully, (Signed) Runcii-nan. Dear Lord. Runciman. I write to thank you for your helpful and friendly letter. There is no one's help that I would appreciate more than your own. Your long and active life must have given you as great a knowledge of the sea and ships as that of anyone in the land. I am arranging to have particulars sent to you about the new. reserve. The age for entry is from eighteen to thirty-nine. I fear, therefore, that according to the strict interpretation of the conditions, you would "not be eligible. I hope, however, that in spite of this fact you will take a close,interest in our endeavour and that youI'will allow me to recommend that your name should be entered as an Hon. Commodore in the R.N.V.S.R. We shall welcome any suggestions that you may make as to the future.: —Yours sincerely, , (Signed) Samuel Hoare. The decision to formV a reserve for men between eighteen and thirty-nine, in which would be enrolled yachtsmen who wish to be earmarked as executive officers in the R.N.V.R. in the event of war, was announced by , Sir Samuel on October 27. I Lord Runciman lives at Shoreston Hall, Northumberland, and has- been associated with the sea all his life. Mr. George Robey. > He is an apostle of vulgarity, but all love him. His name?. The one and only George Robey, who.has been exhibiting symptoms of an inferiority complex lately. The world, it seems, has advanced quicker than he can overtake it. "Honest" vulgarity, of which he has been the exponent-in-chief for forty years and more, is no longer the fashion.- It has given place to sly smirks and subtle innuendoes, which, when you come to think of them, are really much more sinister. Thus, when he was celebrating his forty-fifth year on the stage recently, he felt impelled to express himself frankly in response to the toast of his health urbanely proposed by Sir Cedric Hardwicke, and comfortably seconded by Mr. Gordon Selfridge. "I suppose,";said George Robey (involuntarily" raising his world-famous eyebrows),, "that I shall go down to suffering posterity as a vulgar man, though vulgarity, after all, is a matter of time and place. Supposing I was to stand here: and tell you the true story of 'Faust'? I would wager that you would all get up and leave the room. But with music, of course, that story sounds very'nice and pretty. When all is said and done, my ability to achieve happiness in life has been through being able to. mix with all kinds' of people. Not' long ,ago, following ,a performance in Bournemouth, I stayecj. overnight with some extremely 'posh-persons, and had. a grand time putting on my best la-di-dah top-hole manner. Next day they came to see me off at the. station. Directly the train came in a whole party, of ■'■..con-' victs leaned out of one of the carriages and yelled, 'Hullo, George, old boy.' "My friends shrank, and my superior manner melted on the spot;; as I acknowledged these kindly greetings. No wonder a' porter exclaimed, 'Blimey, he's got some queer pals, he has.'" In spite of all, it is a comfort to think that he still marches on magnificently towards new triumphs in the old manner. .. Even the microphone has no terrors for him, albeit it .may have tempered his jests a little. There remains in tone, grimace, and gesture enough to remind one that the little genial man with the uncontrollable eyebrows and the bowler hat-is unmistakably of Falstaff's lineage. Father Ronald Knox. Father Ronald Knox's nomination to be ; a Domestic Prelate to the Pope will not rob Oxford Roman Catholics of their Chaplain or the University of one of its few remaining outstanding figures. . His new honour carries with it the style "Monsignor," but will in no way affect his duties at the Old Palace. There in the beautiful: old sixteenthcentury house facing Christ Church he exercises an influence over many more undergraduates than his own flock. Tea at the Old Palace is a "movable feast" lasting about two hours, during which'all sorts and conditions of University men are welcomed. To them Monsignor Knox dispenses anchovy toast as excellent as his wit. At the Union he is the perpetual standby—though considerably more than a stop-gap—of the harassed president. In one speech he rewrote Grey's Elegy, "The curfew tolls the knell of parting day," as the Sitwells might have done It. Boom. Boom. Boom. There goes That detestable bell aeain With Its mauTe cadences . . . At the end of that speech his audience was relieved. It could get its breath again.

"My, political life is over," said the1 Earl of Derby, when he.spoke at the sixtieth anniversary- dinner of the Manchester: Constitutional Club on December i:.■;■'. ■ ...» 1.',.,:-'■;'■ '■"■■' ■ ■ Asking the club to accept his resignation : from '■ its presidency, Lord Derby, who is ..seventy-one,' said that he could take no part in elections, and wanted to be regarded as on the retired list. , .': '..- ■;■'■;.■• "It does not follow," he added, "that I in any way abate my interest in the parly or my dosirc to help it in any way I can." Turning to the political situation, Lord Derby said: "At no time in our history has this country been in such danger as it is at the present moment." He counselled,loyalty to the Government, and added: "If anything happened to turn, the Government out we should have in its place a Government which would bring the Empire to dust in twelve months." He was certain that in future days nobody * ould ever regret having given unqualified' support to the National Government. Speaking of his sons, Lord Stanley and Mr. Oliver Stanley, Lord Derby said: "No one could be more proud of his sons than I am, and I hope that when your, centenary dinner is celebrated there will be in the audience one grandson, or even two." Professor H.,von Neumann. Professor Heinrich yon Neumann, the Viennese ear, nose, and throat specialist, who treated King Edward VIII, is no demi-god whose shrine opens only to the sesame of .royal laptapping. He has, as he had before he became one of the greatest surgeons of the century, that first essential of greatness—simplicity. He was born of a simple Hungarian Jewish family, and, after studying in Vienna, he started to practise as an ear. throat, and nose specialist. He performed some brilliant operations, and was in due course appointed principal of the Ear, Throat, and Nose Clinic of Vienna —the highest post, of its kind in Austria. He still holds that post, although he is now in the sixties. And even how his capacity for work is remarkable. The wholp morning he lectures and demonstrates at the clinic on those patients'who have not the means to consult him privately. In the afternoon Professor Neumann is at home to the nations. In his reception rooms in the Oppolzergasse, overlooking the Burgtheatre and the Rathatis or City Hall, one may often find as many as thirty people waiting to consult him privately. Professor Neumann does not use the system of fixed appointments. His hours of consultation arc in the afternoon, and it is a case of first come, first served. As he explained he finds this system more practicable. He might examine a patient and find he needs some electrical treatment which can be supervised by one of the assistants. In the meantime, he is able to examine three or four other patients before the first is given the final scrutiny. One afternoon's consultations might keep him busy until 7.30, for it is his custom to see every patient. Frequently, after a full day, he has to operate at night, yet his skill is unwavering. He is a personal friend .of many of the Royal Families of Europe, and a particularly close friend of King Alfonso of-. Spain. He has received many decorations for his work. A- story is told of Professor Neumann which is typical of him. He was performing a rather acute tonsil operation, , for which he was using a local anaesthetic. He had successfully cut away one half without the loss of blood. As he was about the complete the other half the patient suggested he should wait, as he felt pain, and thought the anaesthetic had not completely taken effect. The professor ignored this and quickly completed the operation. ; The brother: of the- patient, who had watched the operation, remonstrated with the professor for not waiting when-asked. ■ The professor calmly replied: It. i had-performed this*operation as satisfactorily on a Duke's brother I would have been /given- a decoration. From ypu 1: get harsh wprds." ' ; He is probably; sitting now trying to •puf a frightened /child at his ease by patting :his. cheek 'and-; giving - him a sweet; He keeps a-special sweet dish handy, and sometimes he pops one into the mouth of one qf his adult patients who has sat through some trying prodding. Lieut-Commander J. M. N. FHzßoy. r Lieut.-Commander John Maurice Fitzßoy, son of Captain Edward Algernon Fitzßoy, Speaker of the House of Commons, is taking the additional name of Newdegate, which itself is an additional' surname assumed by his late father-in-law in 1902." The announcement appeared.in the "London Gazette" recently. . ; '■ Mr. Fitzßoy said that he. and Mrs. Filzßoy did not wish; to be known by the name.of Fitzroy-Newdegate but by their present name of Fitzßoy alone. "The additional name of Newdegate will be used only : for business and official purposes," he added. "It has been taken under a clause in the will of my father-in-law, the late Sir Francis Newdigate-Newdegate." It is understood'that under the will Mrs. Fitzßoy has inherited the historic estates of Arbury Hall, Warwickshire, and Harefield, Middlesex. Sir Francis Newdigate-Newdegate added Newdegate to his original surname of Newdigate undei1 the terms 6C the will of Lieut-General Sir Edward Newdegate when he succeeded to the Arbury, Astley, and Middlesex estates of the family. Sir Francis died last January arid left unsettled estate of the gross value of £151,304 '(net personality £69,469). The Newdigate prize for English verse was presented by a member of the family.