WAR AND SOCIAL CUSTOMS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 285, 2 December 1915, Page 8

WAR AND SOCIAL CUSTOMS.

The larae hotels and restaurants in 'the West End of London, such as specialise iv costly suites of rooms, and luxurious dinners ami suppers, have b?en. severely affected by the ■\v?.r. Several of them have boon v.n&h\e to pay diyidonds for. the past '.half-year, and one or two report an s»ebjal loss—the expenditure exceed- i .ir:g the income. The hotels have had j almost as many visitors as usual, for •pliiibugh fewer Americans have come to London since the war broke out, J more foreigners have, been there, while officers' wiri-?. «nd oifieers on short leave, have made considerable ■ uss of these palatial hotels. But the, - cnrly-closing rnlf which forbids the ■ sorving of wine, ,-yirits, and all alcoholic drink aft/Or' ten o'clock at night, says a cor;r-.>pondent, has put <?.■ stop to the af"••r-tlieotro supper "habit, e;nd it w.i - ir. i3ie brief interval between, tb'- closing; of the theatres and hai'r->.;.st tw-slve that ffiC:-v of tlie We,st Eiid hotek nnd I'es-■"t-^.ursiits made t'rr': profit's. After--tit-;!!1': >ii|>:i:-"-s -•:■-■ still o';'-c-"isinnally : so-'-;-■'"•(], '• v:t ih°' :■■.;!! (■:: niinr'-il wa'iC:J"s i-: vc-i'y '•a.:, ;ii;i!i::i:\/.i to ilia! i|»i Lcbamp'igve -r i uther wine. l; or

liqueurs. There is no crush now at the Ritz, Carlton, Piccadilly, Romano's. Savoy, Cecil, or Troeadero where before the war >a supper table was unorocurable unless booked m advance! Under the new system no liquor is served after the stroke of ten, and even that already served must be drunk at once, as all bottles and glasses containing alcoholic drinks are then removed from the table.