A LETTER FROM LONDON

Northern Advocate, 14 July 1925, Page 3

A LETTER FROM LONDON

} NOTES AND NEWS. I (Special to "Northern Advocate.") I \ LONDON, July 22. THE CHINESE PUZZLE. The Chinese troubles grow more rather than loss menacing, and it ii | impossible for anyone to say today , what may be the end of it all. Apart from the grave risks of European casualties and International complications, with an American-Japanese wr.r as a possible denouement, great distress is being caused to many Western people whose bread is buttered in the Orient. The real root of the mischief, eagerly worked upon by Bolshevik propagandists, is the Westernising of young China. Japan assimilated Western ideas, after an internecine war, without suffering national indigestion. China's psychology is different, and her conservatism more ancient. The age-old giant of the Par East has St. Vitus' dance in Lh'? extremities, and unless some Chinese Mussolini arises to give law and order unto the people Europe may witness a j colossal debacle.

PATRONS OF WIMBLEDON. Almost as much interest is focussed on the Royal Box at Wimbledon as on the famous centre-court. Here are found such enthusiastic patrons as King Manuel, Lord Balfour, Lady Oxford (she was Mrs. Asquith last year?, not to mention our own King ami Queen for any special contest. So while the incomparable Suzanne either takes things easily —though never slackly —against a newc-omer, or fights like a tigress in a hot mixed double; or Borotra dances about with all his

southern, cat-like graee> apparently enjoying the game as much as the spectators; or the imperturbable Lacoste "sticks" ill-fortune and- good with prophetic promise of ultimate championship; or American "aces" are at it hammer-and-tongs —when the eye gets dazzled, it can rest appreciatively on the notabilities overhead, who giv j quite as unconscious revelations of themselves as the performers below. FOR TIME-EXPIRED SAILORS. Excellent progress appears to have been made;,, with the schemes of vocational training started two years ago to help men of the Royal Navy who ara approaching the end of their engagements. The Fleet is not so well situated .as the army in this respect, as when ships are constantly moving about their crews cannot take full ad-

vantage of the educational • institutes which exist near their station. But this difficulty is made up for in large measure by lectures on board ship, and by correspondence courses. A warrant officer with the necessary technical knowledge is, for instance,.detailed for teaching men painting, house decorating, plumbing and tinkering and the like. Men of, the writer and supply branches can learn the ins and outs of catering, or grocery salesmanship, from the canteen manager. Hairdressing, boot-repairing and cookery are other subjects taught. There ia a widar range of instruction for men in naval barracks. It is now announced that an additional commercial course ha 3 been started at Chatham and a "butler and

valeting" course at each of the three home ports. Marines at Eastney, near Portsmouth, may also be taught typewriting and gardening. THE MILNER BIOGRAPHY. I hear that Mr. John Buchan is likely to undertake the biography of Lord Milner. Mr. Buchan has more than one quality that will make for a successful biography of his former chief, for he was one of Lord Milner's secretaries in South Arica. KING AND WEST AFRICA. The King has accepted the Colonelcy-in-Chief of the West African Frontier Force. This is the first occasion on which his Majesty has paid such a,

compliment to an African force, though ho has frequently done so in the case of Indian regiments. But behind the circumstance is a story. Sir Hugh Clifford, the retiring Governor of Nigeria, asked the Prince of Wales, on his recent visit there, if he would accept the .Colonelcy of the famous "Waffs." The Prince assented. When the matter came before the King in the usual way, his Majesty expressed a wish to become the Colonel-in-Chief of the Force, which has grown out of the old Royal Niger Constabulary. It waj towards the close of the 19th century

that Colonel (now Sir Frederick) Lugard, went out to raise and lead a local force. By accepting the' Colonelcy, his Majesty wished to commemorate the first visit to British West Africa by a member of the Royal family. BARRISTERS AND SOLICITORS. I hear that negotiations are takin:; place between the Council of the L:nv Society and the General Council of the Bar with a view to enabling barristers to bocome solicitors, and solicitors to bcconie barristers upon the equal terms of merely passing the appropriate final examination of either body, or upon some other terms that may be agreed upon which do not place the solicitor at a disadvantage with the barrister. THE PRINCE'S NEIGHBOUR. When the Prince of Wales pays li s next visit to his ranch in Alberta he will miss his next-door neighbour. For some time past the Earl of Minto has owned a fine farm adjoining what "+!io Prince calls the "E.P." ranch, but he lias now decided to put it up for sale. Whnt an opportunity for an American millionaires ambitious to secure a nodding acquaintance with H.R.H. The Minto ranch is a fine property of fovr thousand acres. There a fine houna !

with pledric light and what the housj ' agents call "all modern conveniences." i Over and above this, there is fine shooti ing and unlimited fishing and facilities for stock raising almost equalling that established by the Prince himself. LADY PATRICIA'S BROOCH. Everyone admired Lady Patricia I Ramsay's beautiful maple-leaf brooch jof diamonds, which she wore at the I opening of the new offices of the | Canadian Government in London. It | was the most exquisite ornament worn jby any of the ladies present, and ! moreover delightfully appropriate to

| the occasion. The brooch was the gift | of Canadian ladies to the late Duchess lof Connaught just before Her Royal j Highness left Canada when the Duke was Governor-General there. Lady j Patricia inherited it, and it is one of I her most previous treasures, j CALLED. j There is one lady, at any rate, in i town who will never again say a j word against the London telephone j service. Yesterday morning she had j made an appointment to ride in the (Park before breakfast, and afraid

jof not waking, she asked the telephone exchange operator to "call" her at 7 o'clock. At 7.15 she was aroused, not by the ringing of the telephone bell, but by someone pounding on her front door. She went downstairs to find a young man on the doorstep, who explained that her telephone was out of order, and that as he could get no reply he had come round in person on his bicycle. ' < OXFORD BAGS.'' The rapid decline of the eccentric "Oxford Bags" is a clear indication | that the average Englishman, no mat--1 ter what his age is refuses tc adopt J any fashion which is bizarre, and which is likely to render--liim conspicuous. No self-respecting undergraduate at Oxford has ever,>worn the atrocities which seen on the streets lately. They were worn in the first place, by a sinalj minority of young Oxford "bloods" but they have never j been tolerated by those who count

, for anything in the life of the University. A recent visit to Oxford revealed the fact that the young "beaux" of the town were adopting the fashion, and that, in itself, would be quite sufficient to damn it in undergraduate eyes. It is the extravagant cut that, fails to find favour, for the various coloured flannels are in good demand. Here, again, however, moderation is the keynote. Beau Brummell said a hundred years ago, "to attract notice by conspicuousness in dress is the most mortifying experience a gentleman can have." And Brummell's words are as true today as they were in 1800. 1 UNIVERSITY SINGERS FOR U.S. Arrangements; are very nearly completcj I hear, f|>r a visit of the Trin-/ ity College Madrigal Club to the United States. It will be

remembered that some fourteen un r dergraduates, members of the Madrigal Club, fulfilled an engagement at the London Coliseum about two months ago, and were heard to great advantage in a. number of part songs { and sea chanties. The turn was most effectively "produced" by Mr. Denis j Arundel, of Trinity College, and was received with much enthusiasm at the | Coliseum. Americans, who are so gen- 1 i uinely fond of any movement eman- J j ating from Oxford or Cambridge, and whose own "College" boys loom so ! large in their national life, are cer- I tain to extend a warm welcome to, the Trinity Club. The tour is likely to j be of some five weeks' duration, and j most of the leading cities will be I visited. . I WAREHOUSES FULL OF DOLLS. j A friend in the trade tells me that | for the next four or five years uncles j and aunts who give dolls at Christmas I

presents to small children will be giving them German dolls. Thousands have been in warehouses for the past two or three years, and were bought when the mark was sliding down the j hill and fancy goods were cheap. British manufacturers preparing for the Christmas trade realise they must make novelties if they are to do business. They cannot compete with these stocks of German dolls bought at absurd prices. PYJIES! The gossip writers still periodically recall the night Mr. Churchill, caught in his bath at the House of Commons by a snap division, charmed everybody Iby dashing down the floor in his | scarcely-veiled striped pyjamas. Yet

pyjamas of brilliant hue, including all the latest jazz varieties and without I any affectation of camouflaging dressj ing gown, are familiar objects on the ! crowded London highway within a hundred yards of Westminster. Medical students in their third year at St. Thomas' Hospital, just over Westminster Bridge, take up their quarters in ! small houses near by while putting in practical work, and are liable to sudden emergency calls. In the morning, they majestically stalk across to have a bath at the hospital, towel and sponge in hand, in all the glory of pyjamas! These garments are so exqui- ; ' site that it almost suggests a mascu- j line mannequin parade. WHERE ADDISON WROTE. Holland House and its park of thirv acres, alive with memories of Addison, not to mention Lady Holland of Conversational fame, has felt the cncrofichment of London; but for three Saturdays the grounds are open by courtesy of Mary Countess of Ilcliester, at a shilling ;) head for the good of the West London Hospital anil the crippled Boys' Home. May is really the month for the full ''glory of the garden" here; now that the foliage has matured, London smoke,, to be reinforced by London f'ogs later, is al-

ready doing its fell work; but the peace of the lovely lawns, in full view of chateau-like 'facades of a gloriously restored fiteenth century mansion—within hail of busy Ken-! sington High Street, be it remembered—recalls a Two Minutes' Silence, though (as a fact) only on Armistice Day is Holland House ever free from the distant murmur of London traffic. | <f SALOMY JANE." i The new play at tiie Queen's, "Salomy Jane," is quite American. The author is Mr. Paul Armstrong, and he j introduces his hero in the programme I (as "A Man." Very attractively j j played by that most handsome young actor, Godfrey Tearle, the "Man" must have thrilled many soft hearts beating under silk jumpers. Pie is the real Wild West goods, spurred and heeled with automatics, and he most ; valorously courts lynch law either for j a kiss, or to rescue the elderly papa of the owner of the kissing lips. Miss Dorothy Reacombe played the heroine most alluringly. But the play rather j suffers in dramatic thrill from the fact that, the moment we clapped evos on Mr. Tearle, heard his accent, and saw his gun, we were as certain as could be that he would come out on 1 top despite all hazards. The hero of 1 the American melodrama of automa- j i

When all the gleaming lights grow pale, Eclipsed ami shamed by dawn of day, When music mocks and mirth seems stale, " The Tears of Pleasure" price we pay. When chillM and hoarse we greet the morn, With joy's reaction to endure, Tlic world would be indeed forlorn, Unehecred by Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. 4

I ties and riding breeches is what insur- / ance companies call '' a first-class life"—not like your Hamlets and I your moody Danes. THE GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP. Although Barnes won the Open Golf Championship by the narrowest possible margin, it would, I think have done some of our English profession-, als good if they could have heard some of the outspoken criticism hurled at j them at different golf clubs over the | week-end. The prevailing opinion is • that our men are altogether casuals. I They neglect their putting, and it is ! the exception rather than the rule to [ see a professional go out on the links j and practice steadily with one club | for an hour or two on end. The prizes which attach to the game in America are much bigger than here, and Hagen is reputed to be earning £1;"),000 a year at the present moment. But even so, the Open Championship is worth winning, and no one likes to see our supremacy in the game slipping away. What our professionals need is more preparation for the occasion. (All Rights Reserved.) j