LONDON TOPICS

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4230, 15 October 1935, Page 2

LONDON TOPICS

ROYAL ANCESTRY OF DUKE'S BRIDE

Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas Scott can claim descent from Charles 1. Hoi ancestress Anne, Countess ol Buccleuch, was in the seventeenth centuiy esteemed the greatest heiress and finest woman of her time. She married the ill-fated Duke ot Monmouth, son of Charles 11. and Lucy Walters, and on her marriage they were created Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch. Alter Sedgraoor the Duke’s honours were forfeited, but they were revived in favour of his grandson, who obtained a restoration by Act of Parliament in 1743, the dukedom of Monmouth being specifically excluded. Doubtless his Majesty will follow the precedent he created on the occasion of the ivedding of the Duke and Duchess of York, when shortly before the ceremony he created Lady * Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon a princess' of the United Kingdom with the style of Her Royal Highness. It is unfortunate that the family of the Duke of Gloucester’s bride are not still the occupants of Montagu House in Whitehall; it would have been so convenient for a marriage in Westminster Abbey, only a few hundred yards away. The property came into the possession of the Dukes of Buccleuch when they inter-married with the Montagues in the eighteenth century. Built in 1860, the present House was the scene of much hospitality in \ ictorian days. Commandeered early in the war, it is the home of the Ministry of Labour, little changed externally, but surrounded by a litter of outbuildings, and destined for early demolition under the scheme for erecting a range of Government buildings. The House will not be much regretted, but the disappearance of the grounds null obliterate a pleasant open space.

QUEEN ASTRiD. Flags at half-mast and the solemn playing of the Brabanconne in many places were London’s last tribute to the Queen of the Belgians. Requiem services wore also held, for not only has London a large Belgian colony, but everyone has been grievously distressed at the tragic circumstances of Queen - Astrid’s death. The Duke of York, who represented our Royal family at the funeral ceremony, carried over with him to Brussels many messages of sympathy and affection to King Leopold from the Court at Balmoral, and especially from the Duchess of York, who was so recently in Brussels in circumstances of gaiety which must have afforded a tragic contrast to the Duke as he walked in the funeral procession. The Prince of Wales, who would normally have attended the ceremony, is absent in the Mediterranean, but it is understood that he has also written a letter of affectionate sympathy to King Leopold in his bereavement.

DIPLOMAT AND POET. Sir Robert Vansittart, the Permanent Head at the Foreign Office, who is so much to the fore in .the attempts that are being made to avert war in Abyssinia, is a poet as well as a diplomat. though he lias had little time for verse lately with the foreign cauldron giving signs of boiling over. Tall, and decidedly good-looking, he lias what is sometimes called the legal cast of countenance, though his ready smile rebuts all suggestion of a prosaic and purely matter-of-fact outlook on life. “ Van,” as he is generally called by his intimates, has a keen sense of humour, but he has also had personal experience of the tragic aspects of life. In a profession like diplomacy, which is notable for the high sartorial standard of its members, Sir Robert Vansittart achieves on occasion special distinction. He is among the select few who can wear sponge-bag trousers without seeming a trifle overdressed.

FOREIGN ENLISTMENT. It is a little hard on adventurous spirits that the British Foreign Office should have vetoed their desire to fight for Abyssinia, with the threat of two years’ hard labour or a fine of £SOO. tt was not always thus. For nearly two centuries impoverished younger sons, who had not then places in the city open to them, used to take service in foreign armies. Dugald Dalgetty, with his amusingly tedious talk of Gustavos Adolphus, might have been drawn from real life. But even so recently as the European War, I used to meet in my club an elderly gentleman, son of a Scottish earl, who had served for 20 years as an officer in the Prussian Guard. Russia, France, Sweden, and Holland had British soldiers of fortune in their armies. But there is no ground for the popular belief that General Mackensen is of Scottish descent; he is a pure Prussian.

AIR RAID PRECAUTIONS. In issuing its first memorandum on air raid precautions at a time when the international atmosphere is charged with misgivings and suspicions, the Home Office is not adopting an alarmist attitude. In fact, the Air Raid Precautions Department of this Ministry has been preparing for some time to issue a series of instructional memoranda upon this subject, and this, the first of them, is, if anything, somewhat overdue. The Governments of other countries have been a long way in advance of ours in endeavouring to teach their citizens what to do in the event of air attack, and have resorted to demonstrations and mass rehearsals on a scale which is certainly not contemplated by our authorities. To most who give the present memorandum consideration it will only go to confirm the impression created by the original Home Office circular issued in July—namely, that there is no protection from aerial bombing, and that A.R.P. services at best can do no more than minimise the panic that would occur without them. ELECTION PREPARATIONS. The public lias been so preoccupied with other matters as to have almost forgotten about election rumours. Political party agents, however, have not been allowing their attention to become diverted to matters outside the country, and those who support the Government have been busy with the formation of National committees in the constituencies. Reports received at Unionist headquarters indicate that such efforts are meeting with considerable success. The staunchest supporters of . National Labour and National Liberal are joining the Conservatives with enthusiasm in the for-

mation of representative local executives Thanks to its long-established organisation it is, of course, the Unionist headquarters that has to bear the brunt of responsibility for this scheme. It is taking pains to secure that all demonstrations to be held in the country shall be truly representative, and that no Minister will take the platform without a full supporting background of Conservative, Liberal, and Labour workers.

NORWICH AND EVOLUTION. Norwich this year is the seat of the British Association’s annual conference, which is taking place there this week. Times have changed greatly since the “ British Ass ” last gathered itself together in the East Anglian city, and our store of scientific knowledge has been added to so enormously as to reveal more than ever how little it is we have yet solved of the wonders of the universe. The last meeting in Norwich was in 1868, when the great controversy over Darwinism was just at its height. The meeting was memorable in that it marked the first general recognition on the part of scientists of the truths of the doctrine of evolution. “ Capital,” was Huxley’s comment to Darwin upon the meeting, in a letter which he wrote to him in order to prophesy that he would have the rare happiness of seeing his ideas triumphant in his lifetime.

TRIAL BY PEERS. The trial of Lord de Clifford before the House of Lords will take place almost immediately after the reassembly of Parliament. In legal circles to-day there is still some controversy as to whether such procedure is compulsory in law, or whether trial by his peers is a right which Lord de Clifford may waive should be desire to do so. The question may well remain undecided, for 1 understand that Lord de Clifford’s legal representatives are not to put it to the test. The proper title of such a tribunal of peers is “ the Court of our Lord the King in Parliament.” It is presided over not by the Lord Chancellor, but by the Lord High Steward, so in the present case it will be the Earl of Shaftesbury and not Lord Hailsham who will be mainly responsible for conduct of the trial. In the last trial by the House of Lords, that of the late Earl Russell on a bigamy charge, which took place in July, 1901, the court was presided over by the Lord Chancellor, the late Lord Halsbury. That, however, was because he was specially constituted Lord High Steward for the occasion.

HITLER’S WISDOM. Herr Hitler has shown more than his customary discretion in forbidding the exhibition of his latest propaganda film in England. The picture in question is entitled ‘ The Pageant of Willpower,’ and it forms a display of Hitlerism amidst an appropriate background of goose-steppings and frogmarchings. Presumably it has the stirring and inspiring effect for which it was intended upon the Teutonic masses to whom it is being shown. The Fuehrer, however, has shown a nice discernment in deciding that u national fervour is. not an exportable commodity,” and that it is suitable only for home consumption. The heroics of European dictators are apt to appear ludicrous when viewed through the profane eyes of perhaps, may find there is some wisdom to be learnt from his junior in this dictatorship business.

BITTER MISTAKE. The Soviet has issued an edict that its employees, civil as much as mili-tary,-are to be put into uniform. That is going back with a vengeance to the costumes if not the customs of Tsarism. As there are few people in Russia nowadays who do not work for the State it will soon become a country where civilian dress becomes almost a distinctive mark of the foreigner. That, perhaps, will be less confusing than were Russian uniforms under the old regime when they often led visitors from abroad into strange mistakes. 1 remember the tribulations of the gallant commander of one of our warships which visited a Russian port shortly before the outbreak of the war. After having received with altogether unnecessary ceremony and hospitality a petty post office official with an enormous capacity for gin and bitters, he was so chagrined upon discovering his mistake that ho subsequently fobbed off the commandant of the local fortress with a plain half-pint of beer.

LIFE-SAVING RAY. Much has been heard recently about the invention of mysterious death rays By way of contrast, it is quite pleasant to learn that another form of invisible beam is now to be employed for the purpose of saving life. There is nothing secret, moreover, about this new ray ; it is a practical proposition, which is shortly to be tried out in the outskirts of Loudon with a view to saving the jav-walker from the consequences oi his folly, it is hoped that the ray may solve the problem of providing foolproof pedestrian crossings for our roadways. Traffic lights for foot passengers have hitherto proved unsuccessful. mainly because the man in the street is too diffident to press the button necessary to operate them. The invisible ray will spare his feelings, for it will automatically switch on the red lights against oncoming traffic the moment be steps off the kerb.

BETTER AND FASTER. The Great Western Railway is entering upon its second century with a forward policy in respect to its winter service of trains, which will come into operation at the end of this month. No longer are all the best and fastest trains to be reserved as the prerogative of the summer passenger. The eon venience of those who have to take their holidays in winter, as well as that of the people who for business reasons have to make their journeys at all seasons of the year, will be considered. This year the winter time-table will include L‘l9 services which were first brought into operation for the summer season. Among these is the “ Cornish Riviera Limited,” which will continue to bo made up of tiie now luxury coaches that have gained such admiration and popularity. Quicker services are to bo introduced between Paddington and the West and South-west of Fugland, South Wales, and the Midlands. Compared with those in operation last year, those services will show savings of time over the journeys ranging from 17min to as much as two hours and a quarter.

ANCIENT AND MODERN. Head of the famous Leveson-Gower family, the fifth Duke of Sutherland was 17 last week. His Grace is a curi-

mis embodiment of ancient tradition and up-to-date modernity. His barony of Stratlinavar dates from 1228. The second and third duchesses were Mistresses of tiie Robes to Queen Victoria, and the present duchess officiated in that capacity to Queen Mary whilst the Duchess of Devonshire was absent as Vice-reino of Canada. At Duhrobin Castle the Duke and Duchess have entertained Don Alfonso and most of our younger Royalties. There His Grace has his own private railway. Despite all the ancient traditions of his race, the duke and his late brother used to lie sent to the village school when living in the Highlands; and to this early democratic experience is doubtless due the fact that ho is essentially a good mixer. He is Lord-lieutenant of Sutherlandshire and has been Paymaster-Gen-eral and Under-Secretary of State for Air. With the duchess, he vies with Lord and Lady Londonderry in the princely hospitality he is always ready to dispense to the nation’s guests and to Conservative gatherings. Ho is childless, and as a consequence there is a prospect in the future of the dukedom and earldom of Sutherland being held by separate individuals, the heiress to the earldom, which descends in the female line, being His Grace’s niece.