LONDON TOPICS

Evening Star, Issue 19617, 25 July 1927, Page 2

LONDON TOPICS

MOSCOW AND WARSAW [F*OJI Oojl CoKKESrO.VDEST,] Juno 10. Downing Street is not greatly perturbed bv the Russian Soviet's threats against 'Poland. big embarrassment even in peaceful development has been jack of finance; and it is one thing to subsidise •Communism ia England and China to the tune of a few millions a year, but quite another to embark on a costly and risky campaign in Eastern Europe. That the Polish Army is not negligible, .Moscow discovered not long ago, and it is, moreover, backed by a formidable French alliance. A further consideration is that in the event of war other neighbors of the Soviet would almost certainly seize the opportunity to make common cause. Moreover, Moscow holds. Russia by moans of its armed forces,'and to mortgage these in a war with Poland would be to run grave risks of internal upheaval. The one danger is lost, if Moscow is convinced that" the existing situation is desperate find thd “Red” regime tottering, it might stake everything on war as its last gambler’s throw. THE RUSSIAN REFUGEES. :

A British offiecer who commanded the AloneU Regiment during the North Russian campaign writes: “After 1910 a number of those unfortunate officers and men, who had retreated to safety through Finland, came to England destitute. It was only through the agencies of private charity that they were helped, individual British officers who had known thorn acting as good Samaritans. A number eventually obtained work in France on the devastated battlefield areas, and have made their home there as masons, plasterers, painters, and even laborers, In France ajono thero are to-day over 200.000 Russians awaiting the day of vengeance against the usurpers and murderers of their country. In other European countries there v arc more. They represent every strata of Russian society, from the highest to the lowest. For the last three years it has been confidently assumed that this minority of Russian patriots had ceased to worry over the loss of their country and their own private belongings, and bad resigned themselves to their fate. Such an idea, is quite erroneous. Considerable activity prevails in ail quarters where ex-Russian officers and civilians live, and many of them arc desperate men, who fear not the loss of their own lives in their efforts to regain their country. The lack of money and material has been their drawback, though, now, with the star of the Bolshevists visibly waning, their hopes are aroused that the beloved Fatherland will again be freed.” CHINESE REVELATIONS.

I am told that the result of the Chinese search of the Soviet Legation’s quarters at Peking has resulted in such a remarkable expose of documents ns to convince the most seeepticalj wove they published, of the criminal actions of Moscow against tho peace of the world and tho interests of this country. One of the dossiers examined contained the most illuminating records of tho traffic of arms through Mongolia, and also via Vladivostok by sen. Practically the whole of tho original supply of arras for the Cantonese forces and the materials for their arsenal at Whampoa came from Russia. Any stoppage of the supplies would mean a consequent weakening of tho Southern forces, and miry explain their anxiety to got to Peking this summer. For example, in tho north-west of China, nearest to the Mongolian frontiers, the Christian General Fong depended entirely on Soviet sources for all his war material, and his inability recently to be a", decisive factor in the . war may be.' accounted for, by the falling off in supplies. Japan, I am told, knows and appreciates these factors even better than we do, and being, as it were, on tho spot, has now become an active mover in the defences of Peking and Tientsin, inasmuch ns Southern control of these important cities would; mean a direct challenge to her Manchurian interests THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER. Tho present military action against tho Mohmand tribesmen on tho Northwest Frontier mainly resolves itself these clays into an air action. Twenty years ago and less theso frequent risings. near and along tho "Afghanistan border, were dealt with by punitive expeditions of infantry and mountain artillerv. The fighting was at all timer dangerous, inasmuch as the superior position of the enemy allowed them to snipe our troops from positions of safety, and to hurl down large boulders on the advancing infantry, whose movements were restricted to the narrowest mountain paths. Now, however, the Air Force can attack from above the mountains, and, Hying low and swiftly, drop with accuracy their bombs on the native encampments, and, if necessary, their villages. This method of warfare lias had great moral effect on the hill tribesmen, who arc, curiously enough, stirred to acts of hostility by tho leturn of tbs hot weather season. Since the air squadrons have become one of the main forces on the frontier line theso turbulent tribesmen have behaved themselves much better. Russian penetration has recently, however, been observed, and the present move is not altogether unconnected w.to this symptom. OUR SAILOR KING.

A point that seems to have been rather overlooked on the occasion of the King’s recent birthday celebrations is that His Majesty iias just reached his jubilee as a naval officer, xt is fifty years since ho entered no Britannia at the age of twelve, with his elder brother, the late Duke of Clarence. He went through the regulation Dartmouth course, and his actual sea experience is unique among the monarchs of history. Not only did the King serve the usual naval cadetship, but ho was attached to H.M.S. Canada, Alexandra, Dreadnought, Melampus, and Crescent, commanded torpedo boat No. 79, and also the gunboat Thrush, and is to-day quite at homo on any naval boat except perhaps the latest submarines. There is nothing of makebelieve or amateurism about His Majesty’s practical seamanship, and no reigning sovereign has ever possessed his“expert status as naval officer. His interest in naval matters remains as keen as ever, and lie follows all the latest post-war developments and innovations with professional intentness, UNBURIED AMBASSADOR.

In his fascinating reminiscence of Court life and celebrities, Mr Percy Amitage makes a remarkable statement about Count Benckendorff, the late Russian Ambassador, who died in London during the. war. Ambassadors whose deaths take place while attached to a foreign Court arc sent home with appropriate escort in a battleship, and the observance of this ceremonial has alwavs been jealously regarded. Con.at Benckendorff’s death put the British Government in a quandary. While the war was on he could not be sent home, and it was decided that he could not be buhied here, but must await return to his own country with proper ceremony at the end of the war. The body was temporarily deposited in Westminster Cathedra! .crypt, where, according to Mr Armytage, it reposes nnburied to this \day. •, Interments in Westminster Cathedral are not allowed without a. special permit, and the only person actually buried there is its founder, the late Cardinal Vaughan. LORD SW'AYTHLING. One of the world’s greatest and richest financiers has passed away by the fleath Jiis Tioigjon mansion, Sensing-

ton Court, of Lord Swaythling, the first Jew to inherit a peerage in Great Britain. The, vast family fortunes had a humble beginning. A near ancestor was originally a Liverpool pawnbroker, but a formidable capacity for hard work, combined with a Semitic genius tor big finance, built up a _ famous banking business, and, like his father, the late Lord Swaythling, was a tower of strength in the city. _ Despite Ins passion for business, which engrossed his energies for long hours daily, he held many posts of responsibility in the Jewish world, of which lie was a strictly orthodox member, and among other hobbies had made himself one of the very few people in this country able to converse in Japanese. Lady Swaythliug is also a fine linguist, and one ql her hobbies is fencing, at which she is quite an accomplished hand. The new Lord Swaythling is twenty-eight, and is married to a. granddaughter of Lord Bearstod.. A younger brother caused some stir early this year by secretly marrying a handsome London typist. SUBTERRANEAN MAILS.

The elaborate system of underground transport for Loudon’s postal traffic, work on which commenced in 1913, but was hold up during the war, is about to have its final official tests. Tunnels have been bored, running east and west, through which miniature_ express trains will convey the G.P.O.’s mails free from all street congestion, and as the trains will travel at nearly forty miles an hour, much saving of valuable time may be reckoned on. During the war, when the German airmen were concentrating their attention on London, the unfinished G.P.O. tunnels afforded splendid sanctuary to British Museum treasures. Work has resumed slowly since 1918, and now, from Whitechapel to Paddington, _ automatic electric trains, without drivers, will carry postal traffic, and load and unload at convenient ppints thrTugh automatic abates; If the service works a.s well ns anticipated in London, its extension to big provincial towns will follow. LOST TREASURES. Antiquaries, archaeologists, and the authorities of the London Museum are again urging the corporation of the City oF London to appoint a _ permanent official to watch all excavation work in order to take over historic relics as soon na they are unearthed. These relics are being lost at an alarming rate, because workmen, who innocently destroy them, are ignorant of their value.. Some time ago the city authorities announced that they bad accepted the voluntary services of an arclncologist, and when any discovery is reported to the Guild Hall Museum he goes round to examine it. But the various bodies, who are interested in preserving ancient London, point out that this is not satisfactory, because it is rarely that discoveries oi Roman remains are reported. They are destroyed without ever being seen. The archaeological bodies are urging that there should be a permanent official to watch for discoveries, visiting the various works of excavation every day THE SCOTSMAN’S DIFFICULTY. Mr William Cawthera, the London General Omnibus Company’s, interpreter. who stands in Piccadilly to help foreigners, has some curious encounters with strange people from all parts ot the world. He is often accosted by Englishmen, who fire at him questions iu "half a dozen languages, but ho is rarely caught. Recently he has been intrigued by “a tall, beautiful woman with magnetic eyes,” who occasionally stops to talk to him. She is very mvserious, arid is always alone, and as she speaks both. Russian and German very well Mr Cawthera is not quite sure ol her nationality. But he is naturally interested in her inscrutable personality, because before the war and dui tug it he-was in the British Secret Service m manv foreign .countries, and it was ms lot to meet many beautiful -and raysterious foreigners. One-of. Ins most amusing encounters, however, was' with a Scotsman who told him a few days i',ro that-ho knew most, foreign languages, including English, but he had << difficulty in remembering the words. LORD LOVAT. Lord Lovat has now settled down to work at the Colonial Office as Undersecretary for the Dominions, but he is not giving up his interest in forestry. Some of his friends were astonished when ho quitted the chairmanship of the Forestry Commission to become an under-secretary, and they could only account for the step downward- on the theory'.apprenticeship for a hignci

political post. Ho keeps in close touch with the work of tho Forestry Commission, and I understand that ho is to represent this country at the forthcoming Imperial Forestry Conlercnco. The Forestry Commission is the one department of tho country which is not attacked in connection with its own work. There have been agitations that it should bo given more money, and desires have been expressed that it should be more directly responsible to Parliament, hut nobody has ever accused it of not making the most of its opportunities. : IVAR HERO ENGAGED. The engagement of Lieutenantcolonel James Forbes-Rohertson, V.C., D. 5.0., M.C., to Miss Hilda Forster, daughter of Sir Ralph Forster, recalls an heroic exploit of the war. Colonel Robertson gained his V .C. in May, 1918, when ho saved the line being broken on no fewer than four separate occasions. On the first tho troops were falling back, when ho made a rapid inspection of the field in full view of the enemy, and then led a brilliant coun-ter-attack that saved the situation, though he lost his horse, which was shot under him. The same day, by his splendid courage and disregard of danger, lie saved the line once more by steadying the troops with his example. The following day ho again exposed himself under the heaviest fire when the troops on both flanks were forced to retire, and he held his ground to cover their retreat. Lastly, under desperate conditions, his inspiriting example again saved the situation, a second horse being shot under him.