LONDON TOPICS

Evening Star, Issue 20129, 20 March 1929, Page 12

LONDON TOPICS

[From Our Own Correspondent.] *’ January 2-1. HOPE DEFERRED. Business people are once more talking of u trade doom coming. Not yet, they say, blit some time next year. This bears a rather pathetic analogy to the soldier’s immortal “ 1 am sending you 1U francs, but not this week" epistle; which, was for years the classic joke of the British Army in France. Still, it is always better late than never, and the main reason why 1930 is chosen as the year of promise is because the derating relief will by then be working completely. But already in this instant year of grace certain industrial tremors manifest themselves, which encourage a fervent belief that things may even now be picking up. More blast furnaces are opening up. New factories are being built. Shipbuilders are beginning to get orders. Ocean freights are slightly improving. Even the coal situation, which is usually our nadir, shows symptoms of revival. Perhaps 1929 may not bo -such a nightmare as it promised after all. POORER BUT WISER. Indian Army officers, especially those who Jiavo held political appointments, have been proved correct in their prophecies by the recent events in Afghanistan, When Amanullah left his country for his spectacular European tour many army officers said lie- would go home again to find his throne far from comfortable. Hu grandfather, Abdul Hamid, was not a member of the Royal House, but was put on to the throne with British assistance, and the family has no hereditary associations to endear it to the country as a whole. As a result of the dethronement all the European treasuries aro poorer, but wiser. It is estimated that Europe spent at least £500,000 in impressing on the ex-King how great and powerful are their Governments. That money was regarded as an “investment.” It is hardly likely now to pay much of a dividend. RUSSIA’S HYPNOTIST. It seems incredible that Lenin died fiye years ago last Monday. Russia will celebrate the anniversary solemnly, and it looks like being kept up long after Bolshevism is a forgotten nightmare. It may be that history holds no parallel to the extraordinary case of this taciturn little man with the Mongol eyes and complexion, who was utterly unknown to the world at large up to a month before be suddenly changed its whole outlook. Lenin spent some time in America with Trotsky, and he also visited London once. He has sat at a desk in the British Museum reading room—not improbably at tho same time as the present Pope—and he put up at a well-known Bloomsbury club famed for its popularity with foreign chess masters. He visited Karl Marx’s grave at Highbury Cemetery, too, but that pilgrimage can hardly have given him any vision of his own in Petrograd, so greatly in contrast in its august honours with the Socialist pioneer's neglected one. CAT AND MOUSE.

Lenin’s personality held a curiously hypnotic influence over his own countrymen. 1 was in Petrograd during the Kerensky regime, _ and remember well the coming of Lenin and his satellite Trotsky. The Germans scut them from their Swiss exile on a mission of disruption, and for weeks before their coup brought them into power Lenin’s presence was known. His name was uttered with bated breath. Why this private revolutionary, only an ordinary citizen then, inspired such terror is hard to say. Many attempts were made by the Kerenskians to arrest Lenin and Trotsky, but nobody, perhaps not even Kerensky’s officers, expected they would succeed. Petrograd on the eve of the Bolshevik coup was like a mouse paralysed under i snake’s mesmeric eye. It was known Lenin would strike, and that only prompt action could forestall him. But that action was never taken. The Passions accepted the fatal hour. Lenin had come—Kismet! PRO FITABLE CA S UALLIES. The trouble between the Japanese and Chinese at Hankow has been accentuated bv a Japanese motor cyclist having tfio misfortune to run over a Chinese coolie. Being run down by foreign motorists is a rather popular and profitable adventure on the part of Chinese coolies. The victim invariably collapses, and is borne away by a sympathetic crowd before the motorist bus any opportunity of ascertaining the extent of Ids injuries. Next day the portal of the motorist’s residence will bo beset by a small crowd of piteous females bearing a corpse, which is deposited on the doorstop. They represent the widow and bereaved concubines of the alleged defunct coolie, and they will sfny bowling over the body until the motorist provides funeral expenses. If the motorisk has been long enough in China lie will inspect the corpse. Generally it will bo found to be quite too “ high ” to have been alive and walking across the street the day before. Corpses are easy to conic by on any foreshore of China’s rivers, and the Chinese never waste any opportunities the gods send them. LORD HALDANE’S DRAMA. The late Lord Haldane’s reminiscences show that he could write much better than lie talked. As a speaker lie was turgid and long-winded, but he wrote a crisp, lucid English. It is curious that Lord Haldane, one of his closest friends, should be the first to prick the bubble of Lord Oxlord’s reputation. According to him the latter, alter agreeing with Lord Grey and himself not to take office in “ C.B.’s ” Ministry of 1906, except on certain terms that involved “ C. 8.” going to the House of Lords, abruptly deserted his confederates. It was after Lady “C. 8.” arrived in London from_ the north that Sir Henry refused to listen to the proposed peerage. True to War Office tradition is Lord Haldane’s whimsical account of his first arrival there as W r ar Secretary, feeling rather exhausted, and asking a tall ex-Guards-man attendant lor a glass of watei. The response was: “Certainly, sir; Scotch or Irish I” EARL HAIG’S THOUGHT. Lord Haldane draws a wonderful picture for us of himself, alone and solitary in his Queen Anne’s Gate study, on the night of the victorious troops’ march through London, with the King and Field-Marshal Haig at their head. Without saying so, he suggests the contrast between the laurelled "lory of the C.-in-C. and the forgotten statesman whose brain and energy created the British Expeditionary Force and the whole machinery of our expanded war armies. Lord Haldane had been insulted, threatened, and accused of being a “pro-German.” He had no share in the brave apotheosis of victory. But his servant announced an officer who refused his name, and Haig entered Lord Haldane’s study. Without more than a word, the FieldMarshal left with Lord Haldane a volume containing his despatches, in which is written a remarkable tribute from the soldier to the former War Minister as “ the greatest England has ever had.”-

PRIME. MINISTER’S SHADOW. Inspector Ashley, ol the Special Department at Scotland Yard, is a familiar figure to those who have to follow the Prime Minister’s movements. Wherever Mr Baldwin goes—whether it be to Canada, to Chequers, to his club, or to St. Stephen’s—he is accompanied by his faithful shadow. Daring his first Premiership Mr Baldwin rather resented the decision of Scotland Yard that ho was to be shadowed. 1 remember on one occasion meeting the Prime Minister when ho thought he had evaded his attendant by emerging from the garden entrance at No. 10, but his smile of glee turned into a baleful glare when he turned round a little later to find that his ruse bad been nn,successful. However, lie learned to value him later on, and, when his second Premiership started, ho insisted on his reappointment, despite the fact that the then Sergeant Ashley was duo for promotion to inspector’s rank. Ho carried his point-—and the inspectorship. It frequently happens now that when out walking he turns, inclines his head, and the two walk together in conversation. It is probable that the genial inspector knows a good many secrets, but ho is a well of discretion. LONDON’S PIE CRUST. The frequent recurrence of street upheavals in London owing to leakage or underground gas mains becomes a serious problem. We have many thousands of miles of underground mains in Greater London, and it may be necessary to consider gravely the task of relaying; them. No doubt it would afford welcome employment for a considerable number of people, but the expense would be colossal. Yet it is clearly impossible to continue inactive if at any moment whole streets are liable to suffer a sort of volcanic eruption. It is plain that the London underground main system was never devised to stand such surface vibration as modern motor traffic sets up, and onr engineering experts have been caught napping badly. Even the Mansion House, which is almost the emblem of London’s solidarity, is now being affected by traffic strain. We may have to rebuild or underpin the capital of the Empire. THE SCHNEIDER CUP, Tiro choice of the Solent for the Schneider Cup race on September 6 and 7 will enable thousands of ] topic comfortably to watch this thrilling flight from numerous points of advantage. Strenuous efforts will be made to wrest the trophy from this country’s possession, and experts are agreed that the winners will work up to an average of considerably more than 300 mile, an hour over the whole triangular course, and up'to six miles a ininut on the straights. The world’s officia De Bernhardi having attained 31S£ miles uUiiJ'. it i-> L'CitiAt I, ' £Ujlieutenant D’A. Greig, R.A.F., will captain the British team, but nothing has yet been definitely settled concerning The personnel. Special machines are being built for the homo team, but details of their construction have so far been kept a close secret. The con-' test is biennial. Tire cup was won for this country at Venice a couple of years ago by Flight-lieutenant Webster, R.A.E,.

THE BIGGEST AIRSHIP. RIUO will be ready to undergo her first tests in a few weeks’ time, and if these prove satisfactory she will make an Atlantic flight in the early summer. That offers of £I,OOO lor the passage to America have already been made is. j think, more an indication that the .Briton’s love of adventure is uiKliuiinished than that there is any very great degree of public confidence in this new and biggest airship. Naturally, the superior speed and rigidity of RICH will give her a much better chance of battling with Atlantic storms than the Graf Zeppelin was found to have when she made the crossing last year. There is, however, a very general feeling that these aircraft are too unwieldy ever to prove themselves a really efficient means of everyday transport. The mere fuel Hint they require something like a regiment of men to warp them in and out of their hangars is enough „to convince the average man that they have not yet proceeded beyond a very rudimentary stag© in the progress of their evolution. LORD BUBGHLEI'. The assumption that Lord Bnrghloy will, now that he is a benedict, forsake the hurdle track is only correct so far as big athletic events arc concerned. Wo shall probably not see him again turning out for international championships, but we are pretty sure to bear of him in minor events. As a Guards officer Lord Bnrghley will not he allowed, I fancy, to rest entirely on his laurels. _ At the Guards’ annual sports his services arc bound to ho in keen demand, for his lordship had much to do witli the success oi his particular Guards regiment at the last contests of this sort. I hear that his wonderful hurdling performances will not lack permanent memorial. lie gave several sittings just before his recent marriage to Professor MacKenzie, who has sculptured an effective bronze statuette of him as -“The Hurdler.”