LONDON TOPICS

Evening Star, Issue 21968, 2 March 1935, Page 15

LONDON TOPICS

LLOYD GEORGE'S "NEW DEAL" [From Ode Correspondent.) (By Air Mail.) January 24. Whenever a general election draws anywhere near rumours begin to fill the parliamentary lobbies. Mr Lloyd George’s sudden dramatic return to the active arena with his “ New Deal ” projects ,has inevitably given stimulus to this tendency. Such predictions are to be heard now as that within six months the National Ministry will have been drastically reconstructed and will include Mr Lloyd George some elate soothsayers even say as Prime Minister, but others are content to make him either Chancellor of the Exchequer , or Minister of Agriculture. There is no basis as yet for any such melodramatic talk, though it is quite true that a Cabinet reshuffle which might or might not include Mr Lloyd George is strongly favoured in some influential quarters. We may bo on the eve of really sensational developments. But the cautious political student will be content for the moment to watch how Mr Lloyd George’s “New Deal ” campaign shapes, and especially bow its author sets his sails. Mr Lloyd George is quite pleased with the reception accorded io his “ New Deal.” What perhaps pleases him most is the positive indignation it has caused in Socialist circles. That implies, he argues, that the Socialists realise it may be a very powerful counter to their much-boomed panaceas. Whilst the general feeling amongst Conservatives is that Mr Lloyd George has outlined a pale imitation of President Roosevelt’s policy, and that we ought to-adhere to our ..own orthodox methods which have already served us well, there are eager spirits in the National Party’s rank who would like to see the Cabinet adopt parts at all events of Mr Lloyd George’s vigorous policy, and possibly even their distinguished author likewise. But the great problem remains what amount of popular enthusiasm Mr Lloyd George, five years older than Mr Joseph Chamberlain was when he launched his tariff reform programme, is likely to be able to whip up in the country. , CURRENCY PROBLEMS. It is hinted that currency stabilisation, as well as the new Franco-Itahan entente, may be discussed when _ the French Premier and Foreign Minister pay their impending visit to London. This unlikely, otherwise the French delegation would surely have included the Finance Minister too. On the Franco-Italian entente our French friends will find us quite enthusiastic, but our attitude to any plan for currency control may be less cordial, The contest between the dollar, the franc, and the pound, resembling Mr Midshipman Easy’s famous triangular duel, is awkward, and much curiosity exists in some quarters as to the inroads rumoured to have been made on our huge currency equalisation fund. But this country is not prepared to put its signature, or even give a tacit assent, to any stabilisation pact, until there is an absolute watertight guarantee that all the parties concerned will play fair. BANKERS’ DEFENCE. More than usual interest attaches to the forthcoming annual meetings of the “ Big Five ” Banks, whose chairmen make them the occasion for a review of financial affairs as a whole. Ihe fact that Mr Lloyd George disowns any desire to nationalise their institutions deprives them of a topic on which they might otherwise have had something to say. but they are bound refer to his proposal that the directors of the Bank of England should be chosen in some manner-unspecified—which is djfferent from the present. The hank chairmen can speak freely, since they are not eligible for selection, but they are keenly interested m. the subject, as the Bank of England is the bank of all the other banks as well as of the Government. They cannot afford to see that institution made the object or political experiments. SHIPPING BAROMETER. Merchant shipping in British yards at the end of December last showed a decrease of 7,462 tons, compared with the preceding quarter. Y_ot the December total, which was 596,934 tons, is 80 per cent, above that ot December, 1933, and exceeds the aggregate in. the seven leading foreign countries. The decline since last September quarter is the first check to the upward tendency in shipbuilding since the beginning of 1933, but the actual amount is insignificant. Just over L 5 per cent, of the tonnage we are budding is for registration abroad or sale. Excluding Russia, whose figures are not available, foreign tonnage now on the stocks totals 654,888, less than the total at the end of the preceding quarter, but well up on that of a year ago. Of world tonnage under construction we claim less than 48 per cent., and foreign yards just over oj per cent. An arresting fact continues to be the bigger proportion of foreign, compared with our own tonnage, which is motor driven. Hardly half ours is motor driven, whereas _ abroad steam tonnage is in a minority. Who is backing the winning horse? SPECIAL TERMS. A special Soviet “ treason ” court, breaking its rule of death sentences, has sent Zinovieff and associates to forced labour gangs. This exceptional treatment, after the accused had pleaded guilty in abject fashion, is emphasised by the fact that every one of the minor conspirators in the antiStalin plot were ruthlessly shot. This partiality in the case of comrades of the Old Guard looks very like class privilege in the Mecca of class hatred. It is about the one redeeming feature outsiders have yet noted in the Moscow clique, but is possibly inspired by no more altruistic motives than a cautious desire, in case they themselves ever become victims to a heresy hunt, to,set the precedent for a soft fall. Even so, it may defeat its own object, because the whole-souled youngster Red comrades are quite furious about ,fc ‘ SIR MAURICE. Will the full story ever be made known, I wonder, of Sir Maurice hlankey’s personal influence in modern European politics? He has returned to London after a trip to the Antipodes, and will no doubt play as quietly influential a role in coming big events as he has done in those of the past twenty years. Sir Maurice was just a Royal Marine officer, in a blue uniform with a Sam Browne, until he suddenly appeared behind _ the scenes in Downing street as assistant-secre-tary to the Imperial Defence Committee six years before the war. As Secretary to the War Cabinet he shared all the big and little secrets of highly-placed Ministers, and his consummate persuasive tact did a lot to keep that august body up to snuff. He was the big noise behind the scenes at Versailles, too. Genial, inscrutable,

alert, and incisive, Sir Maurice gives an impression of pulling the strings as delicately as a fly-fisher. ANCIENT LINEAGE. Viscount Galway, New Zealand’s future Governor-General, is the seventh peer of a lino descended from the ancient Yorkshire Moncktons, The latter got into serious trouble with Cromwell for their Stuart loyalty, but at a later period of troubled English history sided with William of Orange against the Stuarts. He and his viscountess were their Majesties’ guests at Sandringham last week. Lord Galway served with the Sherwood Foresters in South Africa and as a Life Guardsman was with the cavalry on the Western Front. Both he and Lady Galway are keen outdoor sporting folk, but they are not taking their horses out with them to New Zealand when they sail in April. They will rely on local mounts. The one exception is their children’s white pony, a great family pet, who will make the long voyage with them, as will also a governess for the youngsters. Lady Galway hopes to continue her Girl Guide activities in their new home. She has been much associated with, the Princess Royal at inspections of that admirable contingent. AUTHOR OF THE BEACONS. It is remarkable how many ex-presi-dents of the Oxford Union get into the limelight later on. The late Earl of Birkenhead is an outstanding, but by no means an exceptional, modern instance, Mr Hore-Behsha, our muchcriticised Minister of Transport, is the most recent example. Up at Oxford before the war he returned to complete his course on demobilisation, a.nd became the first president of the union when its suspended activities were resumed after 1918. From Oxford he passed info Fleet Street, and later into Parliament, and his, fame is now beaconed all over London and the country by his much-abused orange groves. He is a polished and ready speaker, of the genre beloved of the union, but since taking up political life he has modified the Oxford Union debating manner to suit the more modern oratorical canons now observed at Westminster. LJUBLJANA. Statesmen of the Little Entente have been conferring in the ancient and romantic capital of Slovenia, which rejoices in the tongue-twisting name of Ljubljana. I confess, when dealing with Czechslovakia and other sti|l more troublesome names associated with the modern. . Balkans, I am tempted to thank heaven that my school days were cast in somewhat easier geographical times, Ljubljana must be a regular nightmare to the contemporary public ■ schoolboy. He is not often strong on spelling even simple English words, and, if he tackles the Balkans conscientiously he well earns his public school tie. But Ljubljana has been in the news before this. In 1821 there was a ’solemn Congress of European statesmen and _ royalty in the picturesque city, with its castle and rock, to discuss affairs in Naples, where redhot revolution had shown its head. It is a great centre for trout fishing, and Sir Humphry Davy, who designed the miner’s safety lamp, was the first Englishman to tickle the Ljubljana stream. JUBILEE FESTIVITIES. According to the talk in Court circles, it is the intention of the King and Queen to give two State balls at Buckingham Palace during the coming season. This is a special departure to mark the King’s Silver Jubilee. The present understanding is that one of these grand affairs will be held in May, and the other in July, after the June Courts. The last State balls held at Buckingham Palace were in 1924 in honour of the visits of the King and Queen of Rumania and later of the King and Queen of Italy. There has been a ball at the Palace since then, but this was a private one, and not of State character, and it was to welcome home Lady May Cambridge from South Africa four years ago. As King George has given up dancing altogether, we mav not have the usual royal quadrilles wnich formed a dignified feature of State balls in the past, and probably there are not many dancers nowadays who could perform in one. LONG HIGHLAND MEMORY. Sir Reginald MacLeod, who has just returned to London after a meeting of Inverness-shire natives, the other day recalled some of his experiences when he was Conservative candidate for the county nearly half a century ago. One elderly elector, on being canvassed for his vote, emphatically refused it, on the ground that he would never support a descendant of the men who refused to come out with Prince Charles in 1745. It should be explained that on that occasion the Macleods declined to take any part in the rising, as did also some of the other clans, whose leaders had more sense .than sentiment. The Prince was bitterly disappointed that the whole of the clans did not rally to his banner, and the absence of so powerful a body as the Macleods helped to bring about the failure of his enterprise. It is characteristic of the length of Highland memories that the incident should have been recalled after an interval of 140 years. LUCKY MAN. There is only one private shareholder in the Iraq Oil Company. He is an Armenian, now a naturalised British subject, though resident in Paris, whose father brought him to Liverpool at the age of nineteen. A compatriot. • who was illiterate, but made a fortune out of the Baku oil wells, interested him in oil, and he secured before the war the original Mosul oil concession from the Turkish Government. Though his holding in the Iraq company is only 5 per cent., it is on six and a-half million shares, and must make the lucky holder one of the richest people in the world. His son was educated at Harrow, and took a Cambridge degree during the war. The opening of the new pipe-line, constructed with such immense labour and at such great cost, will considerably enhance the fortune of the enterprising and far-seeing Turkish concessions. It must be a nice feeling to know that what amounts almost to liquid gold is now on tap straight from Iraq to the European markets, and that it keeps on flowing like Old Man River. LAST OFF GALLIPOLI. The Great War was such a big thing, though its peaks are already gathering the mists of ancient history, that controversy still rages over even small points. One dispute seems now to be settled. Who was the last man to leave the Gallipoli Peninsula when that deadly arena of lost chances was finally evacuated ? It was beyond all doubt Commander R. Langton-Jones, R.N., now retired, though in his memoirs Admiral Sir Roger Keyes names another officer. Commander Langton-Jones now tells us that he was the last man hauled aboard H.M.S. Fury, just_ as dawn was breaking on the day following the night of evacuation, and after the main magazine’s explosion had _ converted the cliff behind W Beach into a gully. The Turks were very excited by then. As he stood waiting, and looking back at the scene of so much epic acL

venture, Commander Langton-Jones’s left shoulder strap was shot away by shrapnel as a parting souvenir. MASCAGNI’S MASTERPIECE. From all accounts of the first night of Mascagni’s new opera at La Scala, Milan, it will not be long before all England is echoing the tuneful arias of ‘ Nero.’ Mascagni has taken his time over the opera. He began it in 1896, at the time when the world was only just beginning to be familiar with the beautiful melodies of ‘ Cavalleria Rusticana.’ So there is small wonder it should now be regarded as his masterpiece. In those days the knowledge of new music travelled slowly. The chief medium of its distribution to the' populace was the barrel or piano organ of the ' Italian street musician. It was through that jingling instrument that I first became familiar with the now famous intermezzo, and that must have been a year or two after ‘ Cavalleria Rusticana ’ had become a regular feature in the, repertoire of Italian opera houses. Ail that is different now. Thanks to broadcasting, the whole world starts humming famous songs a day or two after their first production in public. JIMMY BRAID. Nothing was more certain than that the beneficent largesse of Lord Riddell’s will would not miss out his old Walton Heath golfing mentor and crony, the redoubtable Jimmy Braid. The latter is almost as famous a raconteur as was Lord Riddell, and often the two of them entertained each other with droll stories. Jimmy Braid has a pawky wit, as shown when he consoled a Walton Heath celebrity, who was bemoaning the big handicap he had to concede a by no means unworthy opponent. “Ah weol,” quoted Jimmy drily, at golf its mare blessed to give than to receive.” But I think the most characteristic story of Braid is the one in which Sandy Herd was concerned. Sandy was playing a needle match with Jimmy, and, after his usual twenty or thirty preliminary waggles on the first tee, hit a beauty right down the middle, observing: ‘‘Take that, ye little devil!” “Weel,” commented Braid, gazing after the ball, “ ye gave it fair warning!” BODY-LINE. Most of my cricketer friends agree in lamenting that the body-lino trouble should have been again resurrected. They also agree in holding that, on the available evidence, the Notts County Committee has been rather hardly dealt with. Indeed, in the circumstances, it is not easy to see how the latter could possibly have acted otherwise than it did. Two points of importance which now emerge are that objection to bodyline, as practised by Notts, was not confined to the last Australian tourists, but included important English counties, and that, so far as the Notts authorities are concerned, they draw a sharp distinction between what the Australians complained of and Larwood’s leg bowling. The latter, they hold firmly, because of its accurate delivery, is always perfectly fair and legitimate. In other words, it is not legtheory, as Jardine staged it in Australia, but fast bowling bumped short on the leg side that the Notts committee cannot defend. Most cricketers would endorse that view.