LONDON LETTER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 20 January 1926, Page 7

LONDON LETTER

THE SIGNING OF THE PACT (From Our Own COl respondent I.

1.0. N PCX. I 1 ' I ''- 3. Replete v. i'li aiidiei'cc and liliu came i:,s. HI.OII lights ami spociallv arranged ~,1 H. . .n., I-.' the ceremony "f >!«<• 1.-ll ||ii-;itiiui 1 I till' I ,i>( .11 ii" Treaties' was ; ,i mice ~ liislrmnii iiihl historic <«ra

I 1i1:,.,| ,•>!,.', will; Sir \ilsfrn 1 li.-niil.,:, him s 1 1 I r.-nis i' A gem-nil up using ~| (In ..: ■ll ».t ii \ and fln> doors ~f In, famous glided salon i.l' lll'' for 1 ;".n Dili, ~p, iic,l noiselessly for t!ir 111 t,v ',f M liri.-.M-l and Di '-"ii" l ' Sl -

.„',)' Sri. l.n.i ;i il HeiT Strt'Setliatin lirhim, Iv followed, mid then lilt.' puekishly I :- .tiling Mr Baldwin and Hit- r< mainder ! I,l' ilir ( abim 1. Sir Austen Chamber j lain's nili v was pra, '.irally 111 observed. j ||, I'.;|- wl'loll' 'il.' wlllllc SI I'M!' was sol was ilir |-;i:-i significant factor. W hell I 1,,' sa! <|,m n anil commanded Hif whole ■ as; einhh n| 1 ln> seven nations with Hie j |.i..i I, \'\ wnvh "I' his lisping yd coldI , in [''l, in |i, 111.. , I'lVi t. I" say I In' least, I «ai Irnin 11 l«uu-

I Till-: tU'MAN SIDE I ____ Mir , erminii-.' Eni'l Bal four, Pitting on nw side with Mrs Ha In ,« in, Ii" lir,l benignly mi everyone and 1,-. no ~;., p. pari k-nlar. Wll.s-t• >n. w ltd

Sir Aiis't.'ii's sen to lih.l; after, glowered Mi'iiloiiiuilv ni 1 In' camera man iind |'i i' p|.-xi.ll\ Vul.l-'il lis I'hiin wlii'ii MBrianiL riHl.-ril ■!■ a (iallii fervour. talked magnauili slv itl llerr St rose ! main', ami emph i-isod Ins remarks by 1 striking 11 tin table with battered and ! s',ai.'."iiii"i was a man. wills all I ho 1111dlsguised ciiaiactci is! ics of llio ordinary I unman- and forgot t" lit- a diplomal , lucked liy reserve. Tlir aclual momonl i-f sigr.ing was impressive. The Kcal of (iornianv was. countcrsigni-d

■ i;'|i the aid of .1" ordinary I'M), pen. Sir Aiisl, 11 ( l.amherlaiu employed a ■ Hashing gold iiuill Save for one (Inn '| v ,s, nijiiil hel i, slllile \'. hi'!: M . Ih'iailil : .',.|,.,',,-. I | ( , a inotln I's letter I" I ; . ~,,.,.._. 1 |, ;l | now she i <tilKl bring up her ~,,1,.; I',,i' pea, 0. in -I " ,'ir. I In' ' lei ma n's mi, I, v,;i- ilisl inel l\ somhre and grave.

I THK IJOSK t.M'KKN'S FIX Kl!.\ I. li n al j.id.lie mi mnries are nol a] wavs all ihey are painted m he. Ihn Queen Alexandra's stalely fnnenil page ' ;,,,, i n London, and Ihe wondoi fill \ |i|n<\ si-i >'' e. will reimiin \ ivid nm

niorie'.s for a general ion. Suddenly as : ~ inii'aele .-i hca\ v fall of ; now whilon 'id 'and I.milled all I, I'.u 'ldle king! .„.l primes, stal-smmi and ecelesiasls, v. 1],,.1 sll, lit l\ over a llllel; carpel of ~,.«„ Sl ,e,v as Ihey followed the royal cidlin on its u'un 1 arriagc. 'l'liere was [.now 1 n i ! :' 1 s!;i!\v nt shoulders of Hie

. j U 'h| (all (.11 nadii rs who horc the dead Qnerii within the Ahliey, and snow also decked the hearskins of the inarching 1 Irei'iidicr company. Il mas inipoasilile |", M ' the mind to escape lite august I cnia'-'e implied hy Hie v. Int.- silence 11u 1 s iiuoosi d h\ N'al are herself upon : tin., hislorie passing of a gracious ] ',. 11 I ........ 1

iNsmi: anp wrnion the I \RFU',V I JnrorJf tiir thronged Abbry was a ;.iilidiir.fl lila.'. of brilliant uniforms, and ywed mui-i' of eeleslial harmony, Hie

raili tnll\ clear, pure Voices of the 1 hor-;..-tcrs. aVd. with 11 hai kground of salile I,la, k . I'm i'.- a n,l ligui es hnnoils ill , , ; i,i.]|„-:.;r\ hislory. Il was a groal dranialic iiictu,e llnil no painler could ,|n uistiee In Outside a vast nnilliiiii:, of Lai.lon's citizens, men .and women, old and yniii'g. rii Ii and poor, all clothe I in sombre hues, (he nun bareIn a,led. the women pale .and often weeping, watched the slow passing of ihe tragic procession. A bitter cold wind b|"w. od lli" crowd assembled quietly liMir.s before the time. One elderly

I lady kept vigil .-it t ln- Abb<\v doors all , 11Ir..11-!i lli.' November i mill from be--I*l it bright. These people were no !|mi re sightseers. 'l'liey were genuine ' mourners. :is their every demeanour i .xhnwi-il ennseious of fdini ing :i national

MATRIMONIAL IMMOLLS N(.tiling will Im heard aboul pending ii-val engagements until the. dui' period ~-,' (Viiirl mourning is over. Ihil Coini

talk is ipiile persist onf now about Hie mal rimnnial inl. : I im■.-■ of Prince Henry, Ihc lalh-sl ai-d im -i :■■ ilwarl nf .ill Hie Kin- .-. sum;, :• »n 1 ihe sole i avaln man in lli.. family Mis n;'iiie was le.eiilly a.s- . , t:if• .1 M nil tl'.it '.l' a ■ hai tiling young |ad\ . Hie : jinllur; dailghlei' of a S.'Ol i;;.|'i house pf pn'iinl lineage and big OS--1.-,i i :. leu i his v .i.- promptly and semi n!liei;il!\ t'.iniradieted, We may dis- .■( ver inter whelhi r this interesting rumi in « is a. lually ill-fi muled, or more l\ miofheiallv premature. l.'nssip is e'agcrlv emu -.'vn.il. n orenver. aboul the pii-si ; i l.i ndmi \. t of two really l.andsmiie foreign princesses. Aslrid

;i iel Martha of Sweden. Ihe I ivn mimarried nieces r.f (he King and (,'ueen, of Sweden. The eldest is HOW ?A II lid the yuiiii.re.f 20. They are kinswomen of imr roval family, however, and li IMF's WhVlnr 'hid,it is said, hv those who knew him well, fo Im fixed as Hip Northern Star I HOI 'BLOI s SOUTHERN EUROPE Southern Europe, no lens than Prance, is arousing once more to inonarchial fervours. While the antagonislie claims of i'ilillipe d'Bourbnn ;ind

the last of the lionajiarle s. ions is being debated in Paris, the chums of the child Duke Olio, son of the late exKmperor Karl, lo the dual Ihrone of Hie Austro-Hungurian Empire are being pressed home, in Vienna. This i? particularly unfortunate when it is | utilised 1.h.il Italy is clamouring for an j inleres. in the Tyrol, while Jugo Slajx ia is onee again covetously inclined I Im.vard Carinthia and the Hungarians I toward the liurgenland. Internecine (roubles seem imminent. The tense ( situation, is not eased by (lie iicwh that I VSenna, d-spilc British' effort* lq sta. j l.dise her status and currency, ic onee, j mere pluncing into financial and govI , nimental chaos.

WHEN CAESAR FELL How far the Oito-iles will go in their endavour to place the little Hapsburg mi the throne remains to be seen. 1 hope not to the length they went with tin' ex-Emperor Karl. My most tragic memory is of him—sitting in a roadside ditch, looking toward Baja and the eenc of liis shattered cause, in October, 1921, awaiting the British naval escort, that was to remove him from his father's Imperial lands. lie was very drunk and his eyes were red with crying. Lis'lLssly his staff officers stood about him. and a. few naval officers turned their backs on the group, in sympathy. The Danube gunboat, on which he was eventually incarcerated was already iying off-shore with Budapest)) in the distance. The last of the ancient dynasty of Hapsburg diunk. bewildered, sobbing, and forlorn, delegated from an Imperial heritage to tho shelter of a ditch : "What a fall was there, my countrvmen."

'GOOD OLD FENDER" Mr Fender, the skipper of tho Surrey cricket eleven, is such an institution at the Oval that everyone will hope there is no foundation in tho rumour thai he may cease to "So captain next year. Like all cricket captains, ho makes mistakes on occasions; but he is a very popular figure in the cricket field, his lean) works with him happily led vvilh enthusiasm, and il is a real education lo see liiin "iming his head" to gel an obstinate batsman caught oft his bowling. On (hose occasions he has a pleasing habit of crowding fieldsmen it to the pitch until the ground just behind the wicket becomes a veritable ■"congested area." WHEN CHARLIE CHAPLIN COMES When Charlie Chaplin comes to London he will stay for a, few days with Mr Thomas Burke, an old friend. The author of "Limehouse Nights" finds his local colour in the grey streets, not in his imagination. One of his stories of street wit is of a woman and her street stall butcher. "The bit o' steak you sold me Saturday was that tough 1 could 'avo soled my husband's boots Willi it," she said. '''Well, why didn't you?" snapped the butcher. "I would ■ if I could *ave got the lacks to go through it," came the retort in a, flash.

WHERE WILL IT STOP? Sir Barry Jackson and the Birmingham Repertory Company have set a pew fashion for stage' plays. 1 hear now thai Manuel in, plus-fourh is to bo followed by 1-Vnisf in evening dress. This novel venture in grand opera will be tiled al Birmingham. Tli'e difficulty is to see where this sorl of thing is go-' nig to plop And, after all. Ibsen in bnihins costumes would be quit'.- in the bc-pl Sartor fiesartus spirit". CON FLIC'I fNG EVIDEN CE Though the doctor? keep felling us how healthy modern feminine fashions are. the chemists rather counter their assertions. The medical theory is that, because they wear little clothing, ar.fi do. not wrap themselves up in thick woollens a* men do, owmen are growing robust ami hardy, whereas men are getiTng weak and 'ailing. But the testimony of the chemists is that nowadays most of their customers, par. licitlarly For cough and cold cures, are women. It may be argued, of course, that (he ladies are merely buying these things for thiVir masculine relations, wiio are too iil-iu-bod to get out tliemf'flves. It certainly is an impressive sight lo see a modern man. muffled in a »i-( alcoal and (hick scarf, taking out the modern Mapper, dressed in ;i flimsy kill .villi an evening-dross blouse, for a." walk in the ['ark these chilly November mornings. PARIS MODELS FROM BERLIN (urinary has indeed benefited by the "intolerable injustice'' of the. French occupation of the Rhiueland, because as the direct result of thiy occupation Merlin manufacturers of women's dresses havp learn) how to compete with Paris in the. I'Vci'.ch capital';; mosl exclusive hue A well-known business man told me to-day that there are now three times as many "models" of German manufacture sold in London as of French, and he ran throng!) a forniid.ililc list ill Herman firms which have I ■■{• in.l Louden establishments .luring | '!;.■ ceil two \*■ll • • Al the preset!i tune iiij.uy French houses are diselurg ! ir.L l mannerjUirm thioiiyh the fallino-otl ' j ■ , business .•Mid the majority i.l these I ...oris are • c t,, ( icrman firms. It is i.l ihe i heapor dresses enhei' which I ;ln' t-'crmai.-. sell. Sumo of the most I •.\ponsiv,, model,; ..omc tVoni Merlin, I

THE COWBOY FU;i I f hear tH.it the nev, Karl of Fort&-m-.jtli m .-.. ro.-i.--l in London very shortly, and .i decision may then he expected in the moot question whether; He shall take his seat m the House of I.fird.*. So long as he remains a natur-j ,\',,?it\ American citizen he cannot. of course, take the oath in the Gilded Chamber, but it is open to the Earl to

relinquish his allegiance to the Stars and Stripes. The Karl has been a ranchman in Wyoming for nearly half a century, and is a thorough cowboy in appearance. Tall, muscular, and deeply bronzed, lie can rope a steer with the best of them, awl the hunting of grizzlies, elks. ;. ml mountain lions has been his relaxation. His son, Viscount Lyniinglon. is already over here, and while in En-gland the Earl and his diminutive American wife will reside at iV.milv estate in Devonshire.

WHEN IN LOME The Mod si Dress'' Campaign by I the Vmlici", in Lome grows more and I more insistent. 1 hear it actually started lasl t.ummcr. when, a. party of ga\ visitors went from Osfia lo Basilica, and. .lad in bathing gowns and

wraps, pa.'-vcd through the Holy Door. Tl.i pilgrims and monks were shocked, and took immediate steps to avoid a iinetitinn ->f the incident. Every lady who entered the papal halls had her icilette subjected lo a, careful scrutiny to make sure thai if was modest enough for the occasion, and many were reoi.esied io leave. The- culmination of tin- campaign is a sketch which now appears- .m the back of ladies' audience tickets 'indicating the typo of gown that is oensidered suitable. It is of monk-likci (simplicity, with, an anikleIcngth skirt ending in a short, train, very high neck, and very long sleeves. A girdle. alto of monk-like severity,

encircles the waist. A lace veil thrown ever the head, leaves the face only uncovered, and falls gracefully over the sihouldors. A gown like this, however becoming, would not be generally useful lo a worn in of society, so that an 'audience" means btiving a. toilette specially for the occasion.

THE FOOL' FRENCH T was (liking to a well-known City banker this morning, and in commenting en the difficulties of French financial houses, remarked that nothing reHeeled the collapse -of the franc more strikingly (ban the class of hotel now patronised in London by Paris- business men. Men of substance, who used to

slay and entertain their London friends at one nf fhe big West End hotels, now come, to down and never mention where 1 hey are slaying. This is because they -re forced by (he depreciated value of the franc to stay af little, boardinghouc.es and private hotels, of whih cthey did not know the existence a couple of years ago. In France a franc is worth about a (bird of its pre-war value. In London it is only worth a tenth. The boarding-houses 'close to Victoria Station are full of Paris business men.