IN AND OUT OF LONDON

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3286, 4 March 1926, Page 13

IN AND OUT OF LONDON

ABOUT CELEBRETIES AND NONENTITIES Who Will Succeed Lord Byug in Canada ? PHILIP SNOWDEN SNOWBOUND IN CAR LONDON, Jan. 21. (From Our Own Correspondent.) The Canadian Vice-Royalty, A matter which will claim serious attention very shortly is the appointment of a successor to Lord Byng. A few names have been canvassed already, including 1 that of Earl Beatty, who, of course, would appeal to the Canadians, although it is doubtful whether the appointment would bo much to his taste, despite tho fact that his appointment as First Sea Lord terminates shortly. I am told that a likely appointment is that of Viscount Lee of Fareham, who is eminently qualified to fill the position with distinction, He lived in Canada for five years as Professor of Strategy and Tactics at the Canadian Royal Military College, relinquishing that appointment to go as British Military Attache with the U.S.A. Army in the Spanish-American war. In 139!) ho became British i Military Attache at Washington, and in that year also ho married, Lady Lee being a New York lady. Therefore, he knows tho North American Continent well. Ho has had considerable administrative experience, having been President of tho Board of Agriculture and First Lord of tho Admiralty, In which latter capacity he was the second British delegate to the Washington Disarmament Conference, He it was, who presented Chequers to the nation as a country residence fqr the Prime Minister for tho time being. Wealth, political experience, a knowledge of the country, and an American wife! Those are qualifications indeed, when they are weld 1 ed together, as in this case, by an exceedingly sound Judgment. Princess Astrid. Princess Astrid, of Sweden, whoso proposed visit to London in the spring sot all the gossips gossiping a week or two a?o, la, I hear, a domesticated young lady, quite after Queen Mary's own heart. A friend who knows her well tells mo tho Princess used to attend domestic economy classes every morning of the week. Cooking, sewing, dressmaking, millinery and even laundry work present no terrors to her. Her dorixestic training, however, has not prevented her from acquiring the gentlerj arts. Though she knows all about baby welfare, cooking potatoes and mixing salad dressing, she dances divinely. A good horsewoman, she loves a gallop before breakfast with her father; she can handle her car as well as her own chauffeur and sails a boat with the confidence of an old salt. A keen, all-round sportswoman, she delights in winter sports, and is reckoned good at skating and ski-ing, even in a country where everyone goes in for these forms of pastime. She is good at tennis, but has not yet succumbed to golf. All princesses are reckoned to be pretty, but Princess Astrid is prettier than most. “The Duodecimo Demosthenes.” Members of the House of Commons will be disposed to envy their colleagues of tho Ulster Parliament if it turns out to be true that Mr Joseph Devlin means to take his scat in that House. “Joe” is still greatly missed at Westminster. Mr. T. M. Hoaly once nicknamed him “the duodecimo Demosthenes,” and tho description both as to the adjective and the name, was nearly enough true to be amusing. Joe had a torrential flow of eloquence, which Mr William O'Brien once called “pouring a flood of words over a desert of ideas.” It will bo gathered that Mr Devlin had his enemies in his own political camp, but he had friends in every other and no personal enemies anywhere. Lord Oarson and he seemed to have a weakness for each other. The invective they expended on each other deceived no one on that point. Mr Devlin, for all his lack of inches, is a fearless politician, and even Archbishops have had to recognise that they were no match for him. It can bo safely predicted that tho Ulster Parliament will be a livelier place in future, even though "Joe” is mellowing a little with tho years. Generous Snuff-Box. There are 1100 rooms, 100 staircases and two miles of passages within the Palace of Westminster. Those facts are brought out in a Parliamentary pocket-book, compiled by Sir William Bull, M.P., the profits from which go to the Westminster hospital. The book is Intended to serve as a guide to country visitors. You will not find it in the book, but visitors often try from lime to time to share in the "glorious privilege” of partaking of a pinch of snuff from that tortoiseshell box in the possession of the chief doorkeeper. His "Sir, you are not a member of the House of Commons," has made more than one man feel his position. Mr Winston Churchill is one of the most frequent patrons of the snuff box, which is hold out with a grave courtesy in keeping with a grave ceremonial act. An Extinct Title. Like so many of the peerages created during the last twenty years, that which was bestowed on Lord Carmichael becomes extinct with

the death of its recipient, although a 17th century baronetcy, of which he was the fourteenth holder, passes to a childless cousin. Not many members of (he present 1 lous,. of Commons remember Sir Thomas Gibson-Ca rmiclmcl (as he then was) as tho member for Midlothian in succession to Mr Gladstone. He delighted more in being behind fho scenes than on tho stage in politics. He had a flair for articles of artistic value, and at one time gratified his tastes to an extent that threatened him with financial ruin. But the subsequent sale of his collection yielded profits which any commercial investor would have envied. It used to bo said of him that if he landed in an Italian town and it contained one artistic object of value, his instinct would lead him straight to it. During his long service in Australia and India his. friends lost sight of him, and they, were distressed to realise on his 1 return that-lie was -doomed to an invalid’s life. Philip Snowden. Nowadays Mr Philip ignowden ranks, in the eyes of tho MoscowRed Inoorruptib’-os. as one of the bourgeoisie, and they will bo more than over confirmed in their opinion when they road how ho was snow-bound in his car during the week-end. Privately, Mr Snowden is a most charming companion, a distinguished talker, a delightful host,- and, though his face looks thin and bitter when he tunes up to tho oratorical assault,, his smile is one of the most fascinating glimpses of - gentle humanity imaginable. His future in politics is doubtful. He may fade away l before the slings and arrows of the new Reds, xvhohv he neither loves nor flatters, or he may some day bo a really formidable Labour Premier; but somehow his star does not seem to be quite a lucky one. And. of course, he is getting into the lean and slippered sixties now. Neighbouring Cottages. That Mr Philip Snowden ran the risk of being storm-stayed rather than be a night out of his own house may be taken as a sign of his affection for the country cottage in xvhlch he spends most of his time when Parliament is not sitting. It is in fact something more .than a cottage—a capacious double-frontod house with stables and gardens, and about 20 acres of ground, all of it afforested. It lies near the Hampshire border of Surrey, on the road between Farnham and Hindhead, and adjoins the pretty village of Tilford. It is within a couple of miles of Mr Lloyd George’s house at Churt, and the late Prime Minister often strolls over on a Sunday afternoon for a cup of tea with-Mrs Snowden, even when he has been scrapping with her husband. Tho house. I believe, is really the property of Mrs Snowden, who bought it with money earned by her book and her lectures on her Russian experiences. With its miles of heather and pine-woods and its remoteness from the railway, the district is one of the most, attractive within fifty miles of London. Bottomley’s Double. The rumour that Horatio Bottomley had been allowed out of prison on a special Home Office order for one, or two days a week has been characterised as absurd by newspapers, and flatly contradicted by the prison, authorities at Maidstone. The probable explanation is that Bottomley has two “doubles” who are often seen in the neighbourhoo/i of tho Strand and Fleet Street. One man is nma7.lngly like him in face, figure, height and physical peculiarities. The basis of the rumour is admitted to be that Bottomley “has been seen in London recently." Mr Lloyd George is another man who has a ‘■double" in the City, but London lias yet to find a double of Mr Churchill! Hotel Licences. I understand tho Hotelkeepers’ Association intends to promote next session a bill xvhlch may prove to be more important than it seems. Its main object is to secure that a licence for a hotel or a restaurant, in xvhich the proportion of revenue from drink docs not exceed that laid down in the Finance Act, shall not require annual renexval, and shall not be liable to cancellation unless the premises become unsuitable or are badly managed. The contention is that the uncertainly entailed by the annual licence discourages the Investment of capital in the Industry, with the result that the hotel accommodation of this country is deficient. Tho capital inx’ested in the 3000 hotels in England and AVales is nearly 300 millions, but it is believed that a larger amount would be remunerative. American tourists alone spend about a million a year in Europe, and far too little of that comes to this country, mainly because there are not. enough good hotels. Our best are probably the bpst in the world, but there arc other's. Society Musicians. As is well-known, tho Prince of Wales has a taste in music and musical instruments which Is at once extensive and peculiar. He and his brothers are even able in emergency to provide jazz accompaniment for one of those family dances In xvhich the Duchess of York so keenly delights. When on a long train journey the Prince sometimes has a gramophone xvlth him and Lord Louis Mountbatten. I hear, has recently purchased a similar instrument for his new racing motor-boat, "The Shrimp.” Other well-knoxvn society musicians are Lord Balfour, who plays both tho piano and violin delightfully, tho Hon. Lady Cook, xvho plays ; old English melodies on a concertina, Sir John Simon, who is alleged to hax’c .emptied a xvthole hotel by practising on the hotel piano, and Sir Archibald Weigall, who once "obliged” by playing the drum at a party given by two of our Royal princesses. Michael Arleu’s Plans. Nlr Michael Aden, tho. novelist, has definitely decided. I hear, to

take up residence for a time in ’Paris. He lias been staying at a i West End hotel since his return from America, for he gave up the looms lie had in Mayfair. He will i still make occasional journeys to Southport, where his people live, and whore ho is known by his real name—Mr Dlkran Kouyoundjian. it is an impossible name for an au- . thor, as he recognised from the | 1 first. Mr Alien’s yellow car will now be seen less often, but wc shall still have his "Green Hat.’’ A Flat de Luxe. I When the new Devonshire house building in Piccadilly is opened in Juno it will include a cabaret on New York lines. How far the similarity will extend remains to he I seen, but it is safe to say that some |of the' features ot trans-Atlantic ;cabarets will not be permitted here. ’lThe "millionaires’’ hotel will include one flat the price of which is £25,j 000. It will be the most expensive in the world. The'cheapest flats in the building will be on the top floor. The leases of these cost £4250. Countess Typist. A girl, who six months ago was working as .a typist in a Leadenhall Street ofli.ee, is now engaged to an Italian Count, and is to be married next month. The story is romantic. Six months ago her doctor declared her to be slightly consumptive, and siic was advised to live in Switzerland for a few months. Her employers, well-known for their generosity, said they would pay her expenses, and sent her to a good-class hotel in the Engadino. There she met her fiance, and has now written to her employers, sayinig she is very grateful to them, but she is afraid she will not bo coming back to typewriter work in the City! A Useful Beast. Mr A. E. Hodge, a distinguished , Xfellow of the Zoological Society, has been expatiating on the merits of the newt. He claims for this somewhat derided little beast that he is at once modest and has a 1 pretty taste in fancy vests. Admittedly also he is filling a long-felt want, in countless pools and backwaters throughout the land, for schoolboys who feel the promptings of primeval sport. But Mr Hodge, while he displays a fine, intimate knowledge of the, life history of the newt, entirely overlooks his latest and moat popular, vogue. I ask anyserious connoisseur of the crossword puzzle where they—or indeed the patient and ingenious persons who invent and purvey those universal time-wasters —would be but for the convenient newt? But for the crossword not a soul outside the R.Z.S. would be aware that he is also the “eft.” Now, however, that alias of his possesses no mystery even for the nursery. My own estimate is that the modest sartorial newt figures triumphantly in five out of, six crosswords. Ho saves the situation time, and again, much as the geese saved the Roman, cijtadel. Back to School. This week the long blue coats and yellow stockings of the bare-head-ed boys of Christ’s Hospital disappeared from the London streets for another three months. The platform at Victoria station was piled high with luggage ,and /thronged with boys and parents for an hour before the special train went off to Horsham, with its cargo of GOO or 800 lads. I believe that with tire older boys the picturesque mediaeval costume is by, no moans popular for holiday wear, and most ot them get into mufti as soon as they arrive homo. It is only during the first few vacations that the pride of ,a special dress appeals to the juvenile mind. All th c same, I should be sorry if the governors were to abandon thc gown and the yellow stockings for the bowler hat and long trousers, which are the regulation garb for the public school boy on his way to and from, homo. As Mr James Bone in "London Perambulator” reminds us, we have still in our ordinary lives surviviWg examples of every costume of the last four or five hundred years, and the disappearance of any of these reminders of by-gone days would be deplorable.