WONDERFUL WINDOWS.

Evening Star, Issue 14574, 24 May 1911, Page 9

WONDERFUL WINDOWS.

A NEW WAY OP EDUCATING THE PUBLIC. [Fhom Odb Lady Correspondknt.] LONDON, March *3l. Diffidence paves the way to degeneracy, and ffopnrf pride—far removed from conceit or any such twopenny-halfpenny stupidity—which is being exemplified now in the All British movement must surely count for virtue. The same thought seems to strike everyone as they walk along the streets hung with the flam of England, Ireland, Scotland, and the Uonnmons and Empires Overseas —* Why didn’t w© think of ft beforef’ Why, indeed? For there can be no doubt that it is a very fine thing with more far-reaching—-and farteaching—effects than we probably see at present. What can be readil; seen, however, is the fact that the good scheme has proved a practical and patriotic lesson not only in what England can do when she is put on her mettle, but in evhat blame will fie in future on the heads of shoppers who persist in buying foreign materials and garments, and deliberately meting out poverty and unemployment to their own countrymen when the simple remedy tor those horrors lies in their hands. Ms is pre-eminently Woman’s Work, and . write the two words with capitals, for the idea started with the first lady in the land Queen Mary—and can be carried out continuously by every other who realises and surely all should—the vast revolution it can effect. —Woman’s Grave Offence.— Woman has been the worst sinner regarding. foreign-made clothes, and will find a hard—l Vrite as one of the sinful—to turn her back on the allurements of creations labelled “The latest from Paris," “ The latest from Vienna,” or “As worn in Berlin.” But since in her hands lies so great power, it.will be an eternal disgrace to her sense of fairness and humanity if she does not now rise up and insist on her own country clothing her as stylishly and daintily as the lands over the Channel have done* the while laughing up their sleeves at the English “dowdmoss.”

—Trades Represented.— The display mad© under the auspices of the All British Week must bo an eyeoponer to that largo section of the public that took it for granted that England could not hold her own if such a scheme were carried out. Practically eveiythmg required in a house n tho matter of furniture, it will now be realised, can be manufactured, and in superior quality to that from abroad, from kitchen utensils to drawing room suites, from back-door mats to beds and pianos. In dresses and in lingerie—and this last will utterly surprise women shoppers —a brave and perfecuy satisfactory display is made, designs, m*v Icriil, cot, and ornamentation just as beautiful as foreign dainties. Union Jacks proudly wav© above, and “ All British labels placard shops of all descriptions—grocers’, opticians’, drapers, .furnituremolicrs’. motor and bicycle shops, gramophone. piano, and pianola emporiums, boot and shoo houses, porcelain, china and glass shops, milliners’, chemists’, tea warehouses, glove shops, coachbuihlers’, jewellers’, sad Hers’, soapmakers\ cameramakers’, *ien manufacturers’, confectioners’, gunmakers', carpet-makers’,. stationers’, engineers, florists’, tailors, ironmongers’, perambulator-makers’, etc., etc. As regards furniture, ot.o is not surprised to find that British grown and made easily surpasses all others in solidity and beauty, and some of the suites of sycamore, oak, walnut, mahogany, satinwood, teak, and other well-known woods are proud specimens of superiority. A wicked gurgle at the expense of Fashion surged up in the onlooker at the sight of strange specimens of headgear labelled “ British design ” ! But the models only obeyed, in their outlamlishnoss, Fashion’s behest, and were thoroughly up to date. Never probably have British silks been seen to greater advantage than as they are being shown now, mad© into all kinds of fascinating day gowns, evening gowns, tea gowns, opera cloaks, etc., and in spite of all prognostications to the contrary it is seen that the entire gown, in all tho richness of silk and bead embroideries, ninon tunics, gold tassels, and valuable lace can be made in England, even if India, with her rich store of silks and silk embroideries, were not under the Hag. Irish poplins'(stiff and beautiful), English silks and satins (graceful and soft), gorgeous brocaded silk, velvets, and tapestries, and thin figured silks, designed and printed in England, spun silk for blouses and pyjamas, flannels, silk and wool goo is, and extraordinarily lovely shot ninons, chiffons, and silks will be acknowledged in future to hold their own with the productions of any country. —An All British Lord Mayor.—

At the Mansion House, at the official opening of the week, the Lord Mayor said :

Can it bo wrong for us to show a preference for the goods of our own people? Can it be wrong to ask our people to do what I habitually do ? When I got up reluctantly this morning 1 left behind me Irish linen sheets and Witney blankets, I sought the aid of English towels, dressed in Scotch tweeds and English boots, and came down to a breakfast supplied wholly from British produce. In fact, so far as I know, nothing that I eat, drink, or wear comes from outside the British Empire. As an instance of the difficulties which at first confronted the scheme an official at one o( the prominent motor houses pointed out early in the week that few people outside the trade would agree that motor accessories could be entirely manufactured in this country. They come into our shop and ask for a certain, article, stipulating the name of some well-known foreign firm. My experience is that the British article is quite as good as the foreign one, only people will insist upon having the madoabroad article familiar to customers here by extensive advertisement. What we have to do is to educate the public! It is to be noted that all the taxidrivers and cabbies that can label their vehicles British-made are rushing through the streets under the proud canopy of a Union Jack! Foreign comment on the scheme is, to say the least of it, not complimentary, but it is, perhaps, hardly to be wondered at that our cousins across the way do not rush at us with suggestions for keepin. l ' custom in our own Empire. We’ve only to put ourselves in their place to realise their feelings. —Comment Made in Germanv.— Still, such grossly unfair criticism a a that published in Tuesday’s ‘ Berliner Zeitung am Mittag ’ can hardly bo passed over without comment. In it we read from its London representative a telegram, a day after the scheme started, saying that the “ week ” is both a fraud and a failure; that it has not only had a extraordinarily “tame” beginning, but that “comparatively few firms” are participating, and that these “ are exclusively second and third rate concerns.” Traffic in the streets is described as, if anything, less than usual, because no matter what the nationality of the “ week,” the weather is “All British—namely, rainy, gloomy, and dirty.” The correspondent discovers that the only firms gratified over the “ week ” are .the larger stores which are exploiting it for advertisement for general sellingout purposes. Almost half the shops taking part in the “ week ” are, he says, Irish linen houses. Why Irish industries are to be barred wo do not hear. It was on Tuesday—the very day that the socalled report was made—that the writer wont a round of the principal shops of the West End, and, considering that the time was 1(> a.m.—too early 'an hour fertile woman of fashion to silly forth—the prospect of seeing anything in the afternoon looked quite hopeless, since long, eager queues of people waited outside each window even at that time. Whether any extra- trade has resulted I cannot, of course, say. ■ In one large shop where Chippendale and Sheraton’ wore once employees, I asked oue of the managers how he thought the result would pan out. To my disappointment he shook his head, and said: “Unfortunately tho British public are very apathetic.” However, it is to be hoped that so pessimistic a theory has now been relegated to the bad past.