A LETTER FROM LONDON

Northern Advocate, 25 November 1925, Page 6

A LETTER FROM LONDON

NEWS AND NOTES,

(Special to "Northern Advocate.")

NO "WIND UP."

I had a. chat during the week with one of Mr Baldwin's Cabinet colleagues whom I had not met since Parliament adjourned. He protested rather strongly against newspaper criticism of the Government's failure to deal drastically with Communism. He agreed that there was a wavefof alarm sweeping over the country, i»lest the "Reds" should attempt a^revolution. But he claimed that the Home Office and Scotland Yard knew far more of the Red plans and their relative insignificance than did the man in the street. "Look at the men who lead them," he exclaimed. "They are a* contemptible in character as their followers are contemptible in numbers. We should have heard little or nothing about them this summer if the newspapers had had something more exciting to write about."

WHEN STATESMEN UNBEND.

Mr Chamberlain's calculated indiscretions are providing a good deal of amusement in diplomatic circles in London. There was much mysterious nodding of heads when it became known that our Foreign Secretary, in company with M. Briand and other statesmen had paid a visit to Mr Baldwin at Aix les Bains. All the amateur "sleuths" of the diplomatic world at once assumed that there had been a seeret conference on the Pact negotiations. Not a bit of it! Mr Chamberlain now reveals thart they spent the time discussing art and solv-ing—cross-word puzzles. Again -when Herr Stresemann, M. Briand and himself went for a trip on Lake Maggiore it was not to talk about gtfa.ra.ntee but to honour Mrs Chamberlain 'a birthdaj r .

THE PARIS STRIKE

Sir Joynson Hicks, I hear, has taken steps to be informed of the steps taken by the French authorities to cope with the Communist strike in Paris. Judging from the telegraphed reports the efforts of the Reds to promote a general hold-up for twentyfour hours has fizzled out badly. The torch was flaming all right, but the heather proved damp! The hairdressers seem to have been the most active demonstrators and the day of the strike happened to coincide with their regular weekly holiday, Even if this explanation had not been forthcoming Paris might perhaps have dispensed with its shingling for twenty-four hours! It is to be feared, however, that our Home Secretary will not. havrderived many "tips" from yesterday's happenings on the boulevards.

" BRADBURY BUNS.''

Lord Bradbury, the ' ; big gun" of the Food Council, who has been waging such a successful fight to secure the cheaper loaf is, of course, the eame John Bradbury whoso homely signature across our Treasury notes nri/wi a new name ''to the English language. He is still a comparatively young man and since he is too busy nowadays to indulge in his favourite recreation of fishing he has developed in private life into a really masterly poker player. He has been described as a wizard of figures and when it comes to statistics it is to be feared thaf the bakers (plain and, more or less, holiest m\m) will stand little chance against him. One suggestion put forward is that the new and cheaper loaves shall be nicknamed '' Bradbury Buns.''

A COSTLY STRIKE

I am told that the unauthorised strike of British seamen which has partly paralysed shipping in the Australian and New Zealand ports has .re* suited in a loss to one shipping line alone of over a million sterling. Other lines of lesser ramifications in that part of the globe have suffered proportionately, while the incidental losses caused by the cessation of seaborne traffic according to an official estimate must reach a figure of ten to fifteen millions sterling 1 . There is to be a big '' push '' on the part of British owned companies to regain trade which has been diverted. Much, of the coastal traffic of Australia has gone to German lines who, like other international lines have the advantage of low wages for their seamen.

THE PRINCE

When the Prince of Wales returns from his long tour this week it will he found that he has aged eonsklerablv in appearance since he left for South Africa. A friend who writes me from South Africa predicts, indeed, that we shall scarcely know him so vastly is he changed! There is no doubt his Royal Highness has had a hard and trying time both in South Africa and in the Argentine. This much we gathered even at home from newspaper reports and from the still more revealing photos on the films. These latter have shown the Prince, on occasion, looking very haggard and worn. But the long sea voyage from Buenos Avres will have had a wonderful recuperative effect, and should have enabled him to cast off the after-effects of late nights, much handshaking, and mneh tedious ceremonial.

AND HIS PLAN'S

In liis letters home tin; Prince, [ 11111 told, refers rather emphatically to his need for a thorough rext when he gets hack. He asks that his ceremonial engagements may be kept dow.ll to th" absolute minimum, iind lie has set his face resolutely against any further tours for a considerable time to come. ! A -visit to Ireland has been talked | about, and would be verv popular, but • officially nothing* what"ver is known ' of any plans for an Irish tour. It is j far move likely that his Uoval High- j iu'ss will pay another visit, to his Oa- > nadian ranch. He loves tin- free open i farm life with its suggestion of j "roughing it," and its entire free- j dom from ceremonv. . I