LONDON CHAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12818, 18 March 1905, Page 5 (Supplement)

LONDON CHAT.

[from our own correspondent.]

A BLAZING INDISCRETION.

London, February 11. Another " blazing indiscretion" by a member of the Government has very gravely endangered our more friendly relations with Germany, and might easily have involved us in a disastrous war. Mr. Arthur Lee, tho Civil Lord of the Admiralty, was addressing his constituents at Eaetleigh, and naturally referred to the new naval programme, remarking that we now had to watch tho North Sea with as much anxiety as the Mediterranean, and that the new disposition of our navy would enable us to get our blow in before our opponent even knew of war being declared. Our fleet would have crossed the North Sea, destroyed the enemy's fleet and returned to port before the newspapers could even have published the news that war had been declared. Manifestly the reference to German}' was too utterly plain to bo possibly missed, especially after that insane article in one of the service journals urging the. Government to lake this very course and- to crush the German fleet in its infancy. Naturally Germany Hew into a perfect frenzy of rage, by no means unmixed with alarm. Mr. Lee had to issue an amended report of his speech, in which the two salient features were carefully dropped out, but the trick was too utterly transparent to deceive a week-old babe, and to English people, at any rate, it has made the affair look worse than before. A feeling, too, is gaining ground steadily that we really have had enough of these "blazing indiscretions;" what with the late Lord Salisbury, Mr. Balfour, Mr. Chamberlain, and now Mr. Lee. it docs seem as if the present Government needs to pray earnestly for special deliverance from "sins of the tongue.''

rnixcEss victoria. It came as a sharp shock to the British public to learn that Princess Victoria, like her father, had been obliged to undergo an operation for appendicitis. Happily all went well, and the popular Priucessis almost convalescent. The affair has been associated with one of those pleasing and pathetic humane incidents which so greatly tend to endear our English Royalties to their people. An invalid child named Violet Victoria Ve!den, the daughter of a Camberwell working-man, wrote a touching little letter of sympathy to Princess Victoria, and received in answer some beautiful flowers and a. charmingly kind note from ihe Queen and the Princess. Tho child's letter was worded as follows: — "My dear Princess Victoria,—l went to church this morning to secure a blessing before going iulo Brampton Hospital. At church prayers were said for you, and I am sorry you are so ill, as Vicky is my name also." When I get into the'hospital I will pray for you and I hope you will think of mo sometimes. —Your little friend, Violet Victoria Vclden."

No reply to this letter was expected, and one can imagine tho surprise of tho Velden family when two days later a carriage drove up to their door, with a liveried coachman on the box. Hardly had the horses been pulled up when out, stepped a gentleman carrying a beautiful basket of flowers. What) followed is told iu these words: "Well, what should he do hut knock at our door. 'Does Mrs. Velden live here?' gavs ho, taking off his hat. 'Yes,' I said. For the life of me I couldn't make out what it. meant. 'Then, the Queen sent this.' And he handed me the basket of flowers which are now standing in tho window. For the moment I was toe- taken aback to understand. ' The Queen?' paid I. 'Yes, Her Majesty lias sent these flowers, and this note to your little girl.' Before I knew where I was he had gone, leaving me with tho flowers in one hand and tho note from the Queen and the Princess in the other." The letter was written by Miss Knollys and ran thus: — " Miss Knollys is desired by Princess Victoria to thank her little namesake very much for her "nice- letter, and to say how much Her Royal Higness hopes and prays that God will soon make them both well again. The Queen sends a. few flowers which she thinks little Victoria will like to have by her bedside."

In a large white and trold enamelled basket was a perfect wealth of tulips, sweetscented lilies of the valley, delicate ferns, and one perfect bunch of violets, the nameflower of the little invalid. So, with the inclusion of Her Majesty's favourite lilies, an act gracious, though in barest outline, was beautified into one of those delicately personal courtesies which have rooted the Royal Family deep in the hearts of the peo pie.