LONDON TOPICS

Evening Star, Issue 19841, 14 April 1928, Page 19

LONDON TOPICS

“FRANCS CASE" DISCLOSURES [From Odb Correspondent.] March 1. It is a long time since such ment lias been manifested in the lobby of the House of Commons as that winch broke out on the issue of the report or the “ francs case ” investigations and the accompanying disciplinary measures. Directly it became known that the papers were iirthe Vote Office members trooped out of the Chamber to secure their copies, which were eagerly scanned. Labor members, who had been scornfully forecasting a discreetly “ hush, hush,” document, with exoneration for everybody, were dumbfounded, and, I regret to say, apparently disappointed. There is no whitewash about the report, nor mercy about the discipline, and the two documents make astonishing and painful reading. While some few members fear that the disclosures may prove prejudicial abroad to the prestige_ of our Foreign Office, the general feeling is one of relief that they have been set forth without disguise. The publicity thus given to the exception will more firmly establish the unwritten rule of honor in the Civil Service

THE ZINOVIEFF ECHO

Naturally the first matter of interest to M.P.s was the reference contained in the report to the now historical Zinovieff letter. Here, however, the disclosures undoubtedly brought relief. The report does not contain anything to show that the progress of tho “Bed letter ” incidents was in any way influenced by speculative manipulation on tho part of Foreign Office officials. All the evidence, in fact, is rather to tho contrary. For the rest, in view of the length of the report, comment in the lobby was understandably most reserved, and confined to the broad generalities of the case. Labor members were particularly cautious -in their utterances, and will not be approachable unou tho subject until they have held their weekly party meeting tomorrow, at which they will discuss their policy with regard to the affair. THE THIRD GENERATION. Enthusiastic admirers of "Margot,” whoso vivid personality is so closely woven into tho bigger history of her late husband’s life, ijegret that the Countess of Oxford is merely the youthful new carl’s step-grandmother. They would like to think that the “ Margot ” touch was perpetuated in the hereditary Oxford title. It may bo doubted whether “Margot” at all shares that regret. Her looks as well as her special flair certainly survive amazingly in her own baby, the Hon. Anthony Asquith, and her lifelong devotion to the older Asquith family suggests that she will rejoice over one point. Tho new earl, the cleven-year-old son of a brilliant father, who died gallantly in the war, boars an extraordinarily close resemblance, in face and build, to “H.H.A.” He is at a Roman Catholic school on the south const, and, curiously enough, perhaps by intuitive inheritance, has “Margot's” passion for horses. A DOMESTIC BLOW.

Though his mentality was too sturdily well balanced foi' any brooding grief, it was rather a, blow to the late .Lord. Oxford when two members of his family went over to Rome. And perhaps the on.so of Princess liibesco counted less in that respect than that of his oldest son’s widow. Though his youthful Yorkshire associations wore those of Nonconformity, Lord Oxford was himself a strong Anglican churchman. He was profoundly concerned over tho present ritualistic crisis in tho English Church, and Ids sympathies were with tho attitude of the Archbishop of Canterbury and his brother of York in this affair. It was a fashionable West End church Lord Oxford regularly attended when in town, and its services just suited Lord Oxford’s views. It was a moderately high service, without being extreme, and the late earl’s outlook was never captured by the glamor of St. Ector’s, Ho remained to the end a firm Erolcstanr. " GHOSTS OE MEN IN GATE.”

Captain Longsiaffe’s striking picture ‘The Ghosts of Monin .Gate,' which lias been purchased by Lord Woolavingtoii and presented'to the Australian Government. is on view in the library of Australia House. After being liinig there for a short time it will be exhibited in several Midland cities, and may go to Nottingham. Then it will be scut to Canberra, the new Federal capital. Tho picture is 10ft by sft, and shows the Menin Gate, a white, ghostly mass of masonry, standing out against a deep blue night sky. In the foreground, as though a phosphorescent light were playing about them, are hundreds of eerie figures representing tho ghosts of Empire troops marching towards tho gate. Captain Longstaffe, who was official artist to tho Australian Expeditionary Force, stated that he got the inspiration for his striking work while wandering near the Meiiih Gate at midnight sTiortly after it was unveiled. SPORTING CASUALTIES.

Taking winter sports and hunting casualties, this lias been a bad season for society. A goodly percentage ol the peerage is now in splints and bandages. Close on the accident to Lord Parmoor’s second son, the husband ot Violet, Duchess of Westminster, camo last Monday’s mishap to Prince Ilcury, fortunately nothing worse than a severe shaking and strained leg muscles. Prince Henry is probably the best horseman of his family, and those who have watched him at polo know that ho is very good indeed. So far he is tho only one of the Royal Princes to get into trouble during a season when all have hunted pretty regularly over wet country and bad going. Ho is in quite good company, however, for Lord Wodehouse, one of our finest amateur riders, is among the casualties. Tho Prince of Wales has escaped anything like a spill this season, probably because he has taken advice and now rides a slightly smaller mount. GONE! 1 suspect Mr G. K. Chesterton ot some dark design. I encountered him in Fleet street to-day m disguise. Ho had obviously got himself Up as tho pawky, fascinating little hero of his own detective tales, Father Brown. But no camouflage could turn the massive bulk of “ G.K.C.” into the vraisemblance of a small parish priest. The towering black-suited figure instantly drew my attention, and on viewing him first from behind I exclaimed; “There’s our. Neo-Georgian Dr Johnson!” Ho was wearing his favorite big soft felt hat with the wide clerical brim, carrying an old despatch case, and his suit was as comfortably baggy as ever. But when I saw his face I "began to doubt. Could the one and only “G.K.C.” by any chance have a Fleet street doublet Because he was clean-shaven. That immemorial “G.K.C.” moustache, to which the world of letters has grown fondly attached for so many venrs, was no longer attached to G.K.C.” “G.K-C.” caught my wondering glance, and I fancy for a moment became self-conscious. LOCAL COUNCILS AND DOG RACING.

Work is proceeding now on the construction of three - new greyhound tracks in London area—one at West Ham, one* on the Clapham Orient football ground at Homerton, and one at Wimbledon. When these are completed there will be seven tracks operating in and around London. The Wimbledon promotion met with strong opposition from the local council, bnt in view of the fact that the site was not scheduled under any town-phoning

scheme they have no legal power to prevent it. The propriety or otherwise of greyhound racing is a matter for the Government. The London County Council has shown its recognition _of this situation by passing a resolution which records ' its determination not to express any opinion on the ethics of greyhound racing. All that concerns local councils is to see that the building plans submitted to them are according to requirements. The exception, of course, is when the site has been previously scheduled under any scheme of town improvement —a situation that lias happened in Manchester, where the company who purchased the White City for dog racing find themselves unable to proceed. HINKLER AND LINDBERGH.

Though Lindbergh, the American flying ace, who made tho record Atlantic ilightj-is a tall limber fellow, and Hinkler, the hero of an even greater teat, is a tiny chap, there is much they have in common. Both are thoroughly popular “ good sorts,” modest, humorous, and lull of vivacity, and get on well with all their associates. Hinkler was one of the favorites of the R.A.F. during the war. But the greatest similarity is the most significant one. Lindbergh and Hinkler are inspired mechanics with a positive instinct for an engine and a genius for tuning it up to super-concert pitch. Neither the American nor the Australian ever leaves anything to chance —or to a subordinate—so far as vital mechanism of their “mounts is concerned. They are exactly like jockeys, who know how to get the last ounce out of a horse. PICTURES BY WIRE. 1 understand that an influential party is at present visiting Germany in order to see tests with a new system of transmitting pictures by wire. Wonderful results are said to have been obtained in sending illustrations between Berlin and Vienna, and if these can be repeated under British conditions the effect will be far-reaching. The Post Office authorities, I am told, are following the experiments with great interest. So far efforts of the kind have been crude, but the inventors of this system claim that between the photograph ns despatched and -.as received it is almost impossible to tell tho difference. THE IDEAL HOME EXHIBITION. The new Ideal Home Exhibition, which opened at Olympia this week, has a most refreshing number of novelties to supplement the normal stalls ot pots and p'ans, arts and crafts, and patent One large annexe contains some beautiful little landscape gardens, each illustrating a verse from the English poets ; another has nearly a dozen model houses planted out and furnished, including the “ house of the future,” designed by a young London arclaitect, Mr R. A. Duncan. Men and women dressed in eccentrically-designed and colored dresses and shorts conduct one past an “ aero car ” and along the rubber pathways -to a curious little house built like a machine or a steamship and furnished with metallic bunks, movable shutters between the rooms, and simple pneumatic or folding furniture. Mr Duncan tells me that this is an anticipation of the mass-produced house of the future. ■ Photographs on tho walls behind of existing modern architecture bear him out on general design. It is light and airy, but, I think, a little easily burgled. LIFEBOAT RECORD, Even townsfolk who spend seaside holidays nowadays know that the old picturesque order ol open rowing lifeboats has almost passed. These gallant craft, with their hardy oarsmen in lifebelts, arc still supreme in the pictorial arena of seascape art, but in actual practice they arc giving plaee_ to up-to-date covered lifeboats with independent petrol engines and all the modern appliances. The latest lifeboat, 61ft by l.lift, with twin screws worked by separate 60 h.p. motors, has recently left Cowes, the centre of the lifeboat building industry, for far Stromness, ■with three of her Stromness crew aboard to assist in the 1,000-mile voyage to her station. This magnificent new boat will replace one with a fine record, which was one of the first motor lifeboats—actually tho first was stationed at New Brighton, at the mouth of the Mersey—and has saved_ 102 lives from the vasty deep in her time. She also holds the'record of the longest run to a wreck—a call in 1922 that meant 11.4 miles.