LONDON LETTER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 9 January 1926, Page 2

LONDON LETTER

LOSS OF THE MI

(From Our Own Correspondents)

HAGOARD NEWS BILLS

All the country shares the. .sorrow of those who Have lost relatives in the db fated -MI. And the first news of her being missing caused a genuine gloom of anxiety amongst the London crowds when the newsboys came along the Strand and Piccadilly. But only those who have witnessed it can finite realise what newspaper bills, with tidings of a naval disaster, mean amongst the folk of a big naval port. The nearest thing to it ia the tragedy of a reverberating explosion, like a muffled peal,, in some North Country mining town. The North knows the one horror; the South knows the oilier. It, has been claimed that, relatively to the number of vessels employed and the amount of cruising, under all conditions and in all weathers, the element of danger is little greater, if any, in our submarines than in ordinary surface rraft. Vet since the. war the ratio of risk certainly appears to have risen. K 5, in January, 1921, was supposed to have dived too deeply and to have been crushed to pieces, but as there was no survivor the causo remains a conjecture. TT42. in March. 1922, was rammed by a destroyer in file Gibraltar Straits, and L 24 in January, 1924, met a similar fate at the. hands of the battleship Resolution. In neither case did anyone survive.

CITY MOURNS Mf

The Stock Exchange, 1 hear, takes a personal interest, in the >.nhappy Joss of I'he submarine Ml, because her commander Lieutenant Commander Carrie was the son of one of the best, known brokers in the Exchange. Mr George Carrie often brought his sailor son to lunch in the City, and everyone knew how proud he was of the progress he had made, at so young an ago. in the service. A well-known marine engineer tells me that the secret of the German diving kit used in examining, the wreck consists of maintaining the air inside the outfit at atmospheric pressure. The pressure is so great under water that a diver cannot work safely below about 120 feet and even at that depth, he cannot make a hurried return tin the surface or his heart will stop. With theGerman outfit the pressure is maintained at a. uniform level, and the diver can rise like a cork from the bottom without feeling evil effects.

LLOYD'S AXD SUBMARINES

The plea made by Lloyd's for the abolition of submarines will carry more. weight abroad than any by the British Admiralty. Lloyd's underwriters occupy a unique position—which changing post-war conditions have done little toi alter —not only in connection with insurances of British ships but of ships of all nationalities. Only to-day an American hull, valued at £900.000 was insured at Lloyd's because American insurers could not take more than 20 per cent, of the risk. An appeal, therefore, from Lloyd's cannot be dismissed as

sentimental or scare-mongering, because underwriters live in a world of risks, are afraid of nothing, and exaggerate nothing. At the same time, it is no secret in the City thai this declaration was deliberately made with the approval of the Admiralty with a view to sounding foreign opinion afresh.

WRANGLING OVER, RUBBER

The sudden rise in the price of raw rubber, and the corresponding increase in the value of all classes of rubber shares, is being followed just now by a record volume of litigation in connection with disputes over the spoils. All kinds of men, who have never before had any connection with rubber, have rushed in, bought up estates of doubtful value, and are now hawking them round the city in an attempt to resell them. Soi great is the demand for any sort of share, with a. sound of rubber about it, that hardly an estate is unsaleable, and there is usually a profit on the resale. But these amateurs in rubber finance promise commission to all and sundry while negotiating the deals, and, when toe final settlement comes, often find they have promised all their profits several times over. Then the litigation starts.

ENTER TROTSKY

Many months ago I mentioned the probability, according to well-informed Russians, of Trotsky returning not only lo formal office, but actual supremacy in Moscow. His eclipse and banishment were part of the aftermath of Lenin s demise, which lull the Red oligarchy much at loggerheads, and split up into jealous rival factions. Jt is now stated, in equally well-informed quarters, that recent diplomatic changes, incluidng M. Krassin's return to 'London as the Soviet representative, mark the fitting fulfilment of this prediction. Xinoviel'fs policy has not .had the hoped-for results, but has badly embarrassed Russian business development, abroad, and, a notorious Communist firebrand having passed away by the deatli of Michael t'Yunse, Trotsky's star is in the ascendant ttgain, and a regime of more moderate polities may (lawn.

MARGOT'S BROTHER

It. seems incredible that the dapperlooking .Mr Harold Tennant was 60 this week, yet so it was. It was in the nature of things, I suppose, that the career of Alargot's brother should be intertwined with that ol Margot's husband. Anyway. Mr Tennant became private secretary to his brother-in-law when the latter was Home Secretary, and in that capacity met the lady who is now his wife, she being an Inspector ijf Factories in that department, lie sat for Berwickshire for nearly a quarter of a century, and filled various minor position—notably the Uuder-Sccretaryship for War. Ths position lie held during the first two years of the War. and only relinquished it because a fine oldfasliioned famiiy loyalty made him disinclined to hold it under the Welsh Wizard, Mr, Lloyd George. At the House of Commons ,Mr Tennant contrived to maintain a Savile Row appearance whilst spurting "poacher" pockets to his coats.—pockets from which he would fiU'tfveJy product- a brace of partridges or a brace of "rouse lor p,e sentation to his friends.

COALS TO NEWCASTLE

The Queen of Spain's jolly London holiday has furnished I he gossip writers with endless 'Copy." That Queen Ena has thoroughly enjoyed every minute of her visit is tolerably apparent. She has "done" all the West End shows, from highbrow drama to low neck revue, not omitting the mure fashionable cabarets. She 'has shopped, and

gossiped, and danced to her heart's content. And she has been specially interested, perhaps with a maternal thought to her young invalid son in 'he hospitals' ultra-violet ray equipments But how King Alfonso will smile at tic London newspaper story thai her Majesty is taking 'back one of these •'sunlight" lamps to Madrid for his benefit! Sunlight to Madrid -coals to Wow castle

CITY CLUBS There is an extraordinary growth just now of city lunching club.-. This activity may have been stimulated by the terrible congestion in city restaurant.--. and cafes of all sorts during the "rush" hours, and it. has certainly been encouraged by the success of the first venture, a luncheon club for shipping people particularly. Another has now been opened in an ancient church crypt, formerly a wine store, and is mure especially a bankers' rendezvous. Others on similar lines are projected now for insurance men. Stock Exchange men, and different city groups. Well furnished with tape machines and telephones, and good food, and provision tor relaxation as well as amusoment, the city club looks like becoming a flourishing institution, and is. I fancy, being exploited by an enterprising syndicate.

REAL CHINA

I have observed that most old bachelors drink China tea, and are quite faddy about the quality and making thereof. Yesterday afternoon 1 was one of a party at a St. James' bachelor flat, where the host, with the air of something between a high priest and a. maiden aunt, made us a cup of Dr. Johnson's favourite brew. He. modestly hinted that it was the best China tea procurable, and cost him over a sovereign a pound. It was certainly quite a desirable beverage, but one of the party, a bronzed old adjutant, while commending our host's brew, declared that he had been spoilt for till other teas but one. On leaving Canton after a term

of service in the Far East, a Chinese merchant gave him a parcel of tea. the very finest obtainable in the province, of which he still treasured a little. It .was not like ordinary tea, but consisted nf whole, flat, leaves. To make tea you simply dipped one leaf in cups of boiling water. And there was your palest amber nectar—delicately fragrant, gently soothing, subtly invigorating! And now our St. James' host is a disgruntled man.

LONGER SKIRTS COMING

The very smartest, of the autumn dress shows in Paris (writes a woman correspondent) indicate a change in the whole character of women's dress that is quite revolutionary. The simply cut, untrimmed, "garconne" dresses are giving way to elaborately cut styles with long (lowing lines. 'The trimming is often detailed and almost extravagant, the favourite ornamentation being of velvet, matching exactly or toning closely with the material it trims. l" is used on all kinds of materials—rep. taffeta, lace and chiffon—especially m the shape of velvet shoulder-straps and belts. The double belt, narrowin" into a single belt at the back, is seen on nearly all the smartest autumn models.

A PARODIST. TOO!

Mr J. C. Squire, the editor of the London Mercury, not only dances enthusiastically, explores old churches, presides over the Architecture Club, and' still occasionally plays football and cricket, but golfs quite well. He has ''got into the news" now bv adopting a new cult—that of the dandy toothbrush moustache and slight side-whiskers. For some ttrm; now—ever since the war. I fancy—some of our jeunesse doree have tried to popularise in London the continental vogue of side-board" whiskers. Mr Squire is a late conversion, and, as lie is recognised as a great parodist, it may be merely a temporary satirical gesture at the Bright Young Thiro's

FORLORN HOPE

Talking about male "sideboards" reminds me that, ever since the war too desperate efforts have been made to revive crinolines and bustles. The sidewhisker is the masculine counterpart of the feminine crinoline in its Victorian quality. So far, the side-whisker voguo has struggled in vain against the prejudice created by the late Frank Richardson s comic crusade against "face fungus." The bustle and crinoline

vogue is up against, even a more formidable barrier. Women are the keenest motorists of all. And how do bustles or crinolines fit in with the modern twoseaters, the latest models of which are so tmy inspecting one at Olvmpia, a cynic asked the salesman: "What do J wear cm the other foot?"

AX OLD-TIMER'S VIEW

A famous Rugger International of the nineties has given me hi--, v iew about recent troubles. He frankly blames the popularising of the game ham spccta:torlal point of view for all unpleasantness He says that in the old davs, when von strolled on to the field at Richmond ,-, lew minutes before the kick-off in a n England v. .Scotland match, there were a few thousand old players present ami room for hundreds more. Now the last seat at Iwickenham is sold out. probably by seme profiteering middlemen six weeks before the day. Even at club matches there are crowds nowadays. And their inexpert partisan tern, per upsets the players sometimes. The game is exciting enough without, the music ot a violently partisan crowd sounding in the players' ears.

THE WRONG RPIRT'I

Ihe veteran pointed out how one London club, in a laudable effort, to democratise Hugger, reserved seat? for cheap season-ticket holders. It draws the proletariat all right, but to sit in that section of the enclosure, to any real Hugger expert, is a torture. The attitude of the crowd and it.s shouts were utterly at variance with the real Rugger spirit. The game is so, fiercely thrilling, and personal in its conflict, that non-experts are swept off their balance, and their uproar mav do the same for actual players Short.'of nr , impossible Likas against, all applause, like that at tic National Sporting Club during glove fights, the only remedy, said rnv old-timer, lies in very strong' refereeim/.

OLD STREAHTAM

There seems not to lie much of the old village of Strentham left, though thai well-to-do London suburb, so close 1..' associated with I)r Johnson, has been pageanting a revival of old times. The object of I he pageant was to raise funds for St. Leonard's Church, wherein the Doc-tor often worshipped on his Sunday visits to his friends the Thrales. wealthy London brewers of those davs. His last, visit was in the autumn "of 1782, when the widowed MrsThrnle was breaking up her old- home, including the "mahogany" under which tbe Doelor stretched his legs with so much zest.

The T'hrale pew in St. Leonard's remained till 1 (J 32. but Streatham Place. their line home, i anie d<>v. n over halt a century earlier Readers, of Ho. well Johnson - *, Streatham omuimoiis were the Kenningion Common foutpaads. A PEER'S *i>J)l> ". "• Earl of l*ttm ■ :•: ■■;■■■ iri >.:•' of <■".::• !"•>.-.! g'ivro'm ]h,< ,:■-,.i o'. C; ■ dr.cr i. :;.■- lasl expression ..I' mi ■lm nits in i nrnisii ings of evei \ description. ' 'l'he Karl's sister, who usually acts as hostess for him. has been giving practical help in serving customers and showing them fne many beautiful tapestries and other things that ate 0 n show. Lord Lathom. wliCKi; health is much improved of hit. has a delightful flat in Mount Street, winch h,- bought from the Mai'ehes.s ami Marchesa Malacrida. 'PETER PAN" "Peter Ban." the. Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Cp will com. of age' tins Christmas, and Miss Dorothy Dickson the new "Peter. is tils.i tweut\-one. For its original production the play was lehearsed for two months- the author attending mist nf the rehearsals- sniok ing ii big pine. In its original for in en the first night it did not include the Tree Tcps some, which had to be emit- I ted (.wine- to lack of tune, and tin: play j ended wth the return lie: I the lost children. The scenery originally used is still in use though changed from time to lime, and not a few nf the children acting m the piece to-day see the same "sets" that their fathers ami mothers saw []\ years ago.

SIB ARTHUR BIN'KBO'S KKW !'l..\\

Not quite Mi much stir is caused now by the aunnucenemnt (if a new play b\ Sir Arthur Wing I'inero, bu*. as he is a line craftsman, with wit. fancy, and invention, and is sensible enough to keep the plot of his play a secret, the production of •\Pr llanner'a Holiday" will bj awaited with more than ordinary interest. It deals with a man's "double" personality. Sir Arthur tells gleefully of a ''mistake" that got him his first London engagement, as an actor. lie played a small part in Wilkie Collins s "Woman in White" at Liverpool, and the author was so struck. Sir Arthur says, with the acting of tin leading man that, he recommended him for an engagement in another of his plays to be produced in London. Only Wilkie Collins, in marking the programme, [jut it by mistake against the name (if "A. \\ . Pintro."