“THE MAIL'S” LETTER FROM LONDON

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 14 November 1928, Page 2

“THE MAIL'S” LETTER FROM LONDON

‘'Soundings” are still being made by a number of in fluent) a 1 Liberals as to the possibility of a coalition between the Liberal and Socialist parties before the general election. Air Lloyd George himself has kept, out of the conversations, but it; is taken for granted that the negotiations are working on his behalf. The bait held out to the Socialists is that the Liberals would gain a number of seats in agricultural areas where the Socialists have no chance. The conversations proceed on the assumption that Mr .Ramsay .Macdonald would be supplanted in the leadership by .Mr Snowden, who would become Prime Minister in a Cabinet of which Air Lloyd George would be the Minister of -Agriculture. The Socialist leaders have definitely rejected the scheme. Mr Ramsay Macdonald has more antipathy to Air Lloyd George than he has to the Tories, but the main consideration is the belief that the Liberals will come back with fewer numbers. In any ease, care has to bo taken not to give a weapon to the "left wingers.” 1 believe that at the forthcoming Labour Party conference it will be made clear that there can be no pre-election coalition. Happenings after that will depend on circumstances. AIINING ROYALTIES

No decision has yet been taken by the Cabinet on the matter, but it is known that a number of .'Ministers are pressing consideration of a scheme for the purchase of mining royalties. Recent examples in the north, where unprofitable pits had to be kept going because of the mining royalties, have greatly impressed a section of the Cabinet. State purchase is being ruled out, and a scheme is suggested whereby the colliery owners might themselves buy out the royalty owners. In this they would be assisted by the State, not by direct payment, but by a State guarantee on the lines of the Trades Facilities Act. The question is not so simple as it appears at first, sight, and advocates of the scheme Have been confronted with many difficulties, political as well as financial. WOAIEN AIINISTERS

Having done their best to put all our present leading Cabinet Alinisters on the shelf, the political prophets are now turning their attention to the composition of a future Government. Apparently they all agree that, with women forming a majority, of the electorate, some members of that sex will have to be included in the Cabinet of 1929. Such a forecast is, I think, a far more reasonable one than many of the far-fetched “resignation” stories recently indulged in. All the parties have perfectly suitable candidates for ministerial rank in women members who are at present in the House, to say nothing of the many “possibles” who may come in after the election. If the Conservative Party carries on—as it fully believes it will—the Duchess of Atlioll or Lady Iveagb inav well look for promotion, while Airs Runciman is already an outstanding figure on the Liberal benches. Should moderate Labour triumph Aliss Bondficld, who has already been a Minister without. Cabinet rank, would be most eligible for admission to the exclusive circle. Again, if the more flamboyant side of Socialism is in ascendancy, who could be more fitting to help carry the torch than Afiss Ellen Wilkinson.

DEAN INGE’S FEARS FOR EUROPE

Dean Inge, who lias recently been at Geneva, lias come back to warn us of tiie peril to Europe of being squashed between Russia and America. He has been reading Count Keyserling’s new book “Europe,” and he agrees with that writer in believing that the only safety for our Continent is to be found in unity. The danger from the East lies, of course, in “the bloodthirsty camarilla of Moscow, whose ideals are the complete mechanisation and depersonalisation of humanity, with the repudiation of all spiritual and moral values.” The menace from the other side of the Atlantic is hut little less alarming as it consists of “standardised and mechanised civilisation, with no ideals except mass production and the diffusion of an identical standard of comfort.” The Dean believes that the best cement with which to stick together a United States of Europe would be “the discovery of a comment Christianity, deeper than the wranglings of the Churches.” NEW MINESWEEPERS

The first two minesweepers built for the Royal Navy since the war are being launched this month by Messrs Hawthorn, Leslie and Co., at their liebburn shipyard. It is the intention to name these new vessels, which are to replace these hurriedly built during the war and now nearly worn out, after minor sea-ports of the country, and the suggestion has been made that the next one should lye called the Whitby, in honour of Captain Cook. The name has not been borne before by a vessel of the Royal Navy, but an exception might Ire made in the present bicentenary year of Cook’s birth. There is a vast difference in the new minesweepers and the old, for although the latter were built only 10 or 11 years ago, they were of an improved type, based on merchant ship lines, so‘that yards outside the usual circle might help to build them, and they were supplied witli reciprocating engines and coal-fired boilers. The new turbine-driven oil-fired craft will not only be superior as warcraft, but much more comfortable to serve in. NEW WEALTH IX COAL

It now appears that the new process combining the low temperature carbonisation of coal with the cheap production of electrical energy, of which so many rumours have been current lor the past few days, is Hie. outcome of experiments by the Newcastle Electric Supply Company. The company claims to have proved the commercial possibilities ol the system and during the Fuel Conference, which opens here on .Monday, AJr It. P. Sloan, the managing director, will give a full description of these experiments and of the special plant which has been erected. Under the system it is claimed that from a ton of raw cixii costing 12 shillings, derivatives to the value of 10s 6d are obtainable in addition to the coke which is used lor the electricity generating plant. .Altogether it is estimated that the cash value, ol the coal as purchased by the company can be increased by 65 per cent., and that working costs would be still luiiher reduced were the system applied to larger scale operations. L'NM.OAiAi"Y IN PARIS

Lady Tyrrell is still not free, of the publishers' shackles, and until her book is (piite finished she will be unable to join Sir William, our new Ambassador to Paris, at the British Embassy there. But he lias taken possession of tlie house in the Quai d'Orsay which

COMMENT ON CURRENT EVENTS POLITICAL AND SOCIAL EVENTS LIBERALS AND SOCIALISTS (From Our London Correspondent)

Lord and Lady Crewe made so beautiful. and, between directing minor furnishing operations in his own snile of moms, is getting acquainted with the British Colony. Lady Tyrrell's arrival is being availed eagerly, especially ny the Parisians who have (he entree to the diplomatic set,. As she was burn, brought up, and educated in .France, Paris will lie "home" to her. and she is very anxious to get there and settle down. Her daughter, Anne, has already been over to “spy out the land,” and will be her mother’s right hand when formal entertaining, of which there is a great deal, has to be done in Paris Afiss Tyrrell acted as secretary in her father for a year or two when he was at the Foreign Office, and her experience in diplomacy will stand her in good stead now. LORI) CURZON

The issue of the concluding chapters of Lord Ronald.shay’s biography of Lord Cumin brings before the eye a vivid picture of the disappointments at 1 i reverses which overtook this “very superior person” at the close of a remarkably brilliant career. Though Lord Ronalrfshay throughout errs on the side of kindness, he acknowledges Lord Cumm's grand and frigid manner and admits that

“there was scarcely a man in the Foreign Office Staff who did not nurse a grievance against his chief for some unconscious act lacking in consideration.” That this was unconscious, however, is shown by the inclusion in ibis volume of his letter to Air Baldwin, when, having missed the Premiership himself, lie agreed to serve in a subordinate capacity. The tact and feeling of this letter, when compared with the agony and despair the writer is shown to have felt in private, is the best proof that however austere a statesman Lord Curzon may have been ho was also a good sportsman.

THE NEW AMBASSADOR BRIDGE

Very rightly the mighty structure that is going up over the Detroit River to link together Sandwich and the City of Detroit is to be called the “Ambassador” Bridge. The amazing growth of Detroit has made necessary ne\# links of communication with Canada. The Grand Trunk had a tunnel near Sarnia, north of Windsor; tho ferries plied between Windsor and Detroit back and forth all day and part of the night. Now this new mighty bridge, which will cost when finished £2,000,000 will provide no less than live lanes of traffic with a capacity of 5000 cars an hour. Its span will lie the greatest in the world and measure 1850 feet. The supporting towers will be 552 feet in height, while the bridge itself will be 152 feet above the river. The structure will be a triumph of engineering skill, and will be completed by November of next year. HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

Famine, rapine, and upheaval in the Moscow Communists’ favourite missionary field are producing Titanic effects. Even Chinese stolidity has broken down, and a cataract of humanity is trekking, at the rate of 40.000 a week or over two millions a year, away from China northwards beyond tfie Great Wall into Manchuria. From about three, millions before the Russo-Japanese War the latter’s population has grown now to twenty-five millions, and, if the present mortal landslide continues, may within a decade or two begin to rival that of the United States. The potential political and historical consequences are inscrutable, but, despite the adjectives of the London press, the phenomenon is not new. Less than two centuries ago somewhat similar causes produced comparable results, and were, immortalised in De Quincev’s press epic, The Revolt Of The Tartars. LONDON’S EVENING STUDENTS

The ever-growing demand for education among the young men and women of London is particularly apparent at this season of the year, when evening technical and commercial classes arc commencing. This autumn the indications are- that entries will even exceed the re,cord numbers of last year, and the wide range of subjects upon which instruction is sought is quite astonishing the L.C.C. education officials. Though this ardent desire for learning is undoubtedly a proof of the value which London’s "youth attaches to education, it is somewhat disappointing to hear that he does not evince any great amount of persistency in sticking to the studies he takes up. Classes, which, are. full to overflowing in September, have a tendency to thinning out badly round about the New Year. Statistics show that the number of students who complete evening courses in London is much lower proportionately than is the case in classes held in the Northern industrial centres. THE NEWEST DANCE

The Tile Trot, they told us, was the new dance this autumn. Rut a- newer one seems to have arrived, called the Twist, and the smart dance clubs have taken it up in preference to the one with the- not too attractive name. This newest dance is really a slow fox-trot, and is being danced on some floors to such attractive airs as “Try to Learn to Love,"' from Ah' Cochrane's charming revue, and “The Rest Things in Life are Free." There are five quite simple movements in it, and the dancers who dance from love of rhythm and graceful movement haye already picked it up. It is curious, though, that- at nearly every club and restaurant in London most people attempt nothing but the ordinary fox-trot, and even that they dance very much as they please. Even the good dancers lapse into a more or less slovenly musical walk in some clubs, especially those where floor space is limited and there is always a crowd. PLUCKY PLAYWRIGHT

Mr Henry Arthur Jones, Ihe famous playwright, is a little man with the courage of a lion, l'or the past four years lie lias suffered immense agony, and tlie operations lie lias undergone would have killed most men of 77. Rut sheer will power has kept him alive. After he has spoken a couple of sentences, his breath will desert him. Despite this disability lie will receive bis guests and talk to them. Nearly everyone who calls upon Air Jones is taken to see the William .Morris room, his great treasure. When Air Jones wrote “The Crusaders” lie gave William Morris carte blanche

to make the scenery. and the result was that .Morris produced some of the finest examples of his work. A suite of furniture, a beautiful wooden screen, carpels. curtains, and oven a tapestry were made. I lit* complete sot was transferred from the stage to Air Jones’ house after the ran ol “The Crusaders,” and tiiev have remained in the same room ever since. Just before the war the tapestry —which is valued at £3ooo—and the wooden screen were sent to Fiance for I be. Paris Exhibition. When the war broke out they were taken to the Louvre and remained in the cellars there until hostilities ceased.