LONDON CHAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13781, 20 June 1908, Page 5 (Supplement)

LONDON CHAT.

[FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] ', London", May 8. Londoners are always grumblingbut they • are not by any means the only grumnlers at the moment, for early-arriving visitors ; from New Zealand and everywhere else heartily second them in their grumbles about the weather, which really does continue to be very trying and changeable. One day there is snow and hail and other mid-winter disagreeables—and these conditions are not appreciated. Then, two days later, we arc plunged into the middle of summer and the meteorological authorities once more are vigorously denounced for making such violent changes without due warning of their intentions. On May 1 London * registered a shade temperature of 75deg., and on the 2nd cue of 74deg. But Londoners did not appreciate tho unexpected conditions, and growled about the " heat." So, practically ever since, „iie heavens have been deluging us with almost torrential rain, but those who have to be out or who want to go out, dislike the rain and the accompanying mud-splashes even more! Apparently they will have to grin and bear these unpleasantnesses. In the valleys of tho Rennet and Loddon the inundation has been the worst known for many years. Practically the whole of the early broods of moor hens and other Thames fowl have been ruined.. Pullman motor-cars are the latest luxury in street locomotion in London. A service lias just started running at a faro of sixpence for any distance, from Queen's Gate to Portland Place, x'he route taken is by way of Brompton Road, Piccadilly, and Re-gent-street, and the experiment owes its initiation to Mr. Davidson Dalziel, who was prominently associated with tho introduction of the now popular motor-cab in the Metropolis. The new cars are 20 horsepower sL.de deck Charron type, the body being of natural wood, and the under part painted red. They glide along smoothly on pneumatic tires, "and are very much "like theL.C.C. tramway-cars, which connect the Embankment with Aldwych. Inside thoy are, luxuriously appointed; armchairs, upholstered in red morocco leather, are provided for nine passengers only, three on either side, and three to the back of the driver. "'Pullman' is the only word painted on the outside of the car and the driver and conductor wear smart, claret-coloured liveries, with Pullman gold lettering on their collars. There is every reason to believe the experiment will prove a success; if it does London is promised several hundred of these cars within the next few mouths. What a comfort it would be if all : the motor-buses on 1 tho London streets today were as noiseless and as jerkless at ' the start as is the " Silverbus'," the name which has been given to the newest Pullman cars. The jaded Londoner dreads to enter some of the motor-buses which let off alarming explosions at frequent intervals, which bump him up and down as if he were . an indiarubber ball, and which emit a permanent sickening smell of. petrol or oil of some malodorous description.

Airships and balloons have been hovering about London during the past few days, and have provided excitement for the London street-walker who has nothing much else to do but to gaze about him at anything constituting a diversion at the moment. But there are times when the looked-for object fails to put in an appearance in the expected locality. And this happened to the airship Urban the other day. Londoners in the vicinity of Fleet-street were all seen directing an upward gaze in the neighbourhood of the Dome of St. Paul's, and the uninitiated wondered what on earth was going to happen! As a matter of fact nothing did happen! ." For the Urban took it into its head to diverge from the prescribed course, and- instead of making its graceful presence seen in the city it decided to go out to Croydon instead; the • wind was really responsible for this unannounced change of programme. In the presence' of Major Baden-Powell and other interested people the Urban started all right, and then, influenced by the wind, it started on its roving commission. It passed over Balhara, Brixton, and Dulwich and finally, tired out, descended unexpectedly in a field at Croydon early in the evening. The machinery was somewhat badly damaged, but none of the occupants of the balloon were injured. The idea hail been to circle round St. Paul's, and while in the vicinity of the dome the occupants of the airship had planned to drop a little parcel of picture films. But this, arrangement fell through. All along the. Victoria Embankment there were myriads of people waiting to see the airship, and all the bridges were similarly occupied. Time passed, however, and at length wearied by their fruitless wait, the crowds disappointedly dispersed. I hear that we are to have a balloon race of a very novel character about the end of this month, under the auspices of the International Aeronautic Federation, which is nolding its meeting in London about that time. Thirtyfive balloons have entered,- and the < start is to be made from Hurlington. It is to be a sort of hounds-and-hare race. The hare will be a small balloon under the direction of Mr. U. S. Rolls. It will be allowed three minutes' start, and then the others will at once start in pursuit. Mr. Rolls will endeavour to evade his pursuers, not merely bv speed, but by descending or rising in the air, and thus striking different currents. If the day is favourable he may also attempt to disappear in the clouds. What, exactly will be the process of capture, if any of the balloons reach the hare, is not known. Mr. Rolls I know personally as a most enterprising young man. A son of Lord and Lady Llangattock. who are wealthy and prominent members of society, lie has served his time at an engineer's bench, he holds marine engineer's certificates, and he has built up one of the most flourishing motor-car factories in London.

,'*' During the course of a lecture last Saturday night on The Territorial as a Fighting Force," delivered at Newcastle, Lieuten-ant-General Baden-Powell sketched a lurid picture of the "danger" of war with "our natural enemy," Germany, and this speech has been most unfavourably commented on by the Berlin press. The general opinion . . Expressed there is that the -words used by the: speaker are not only utterly unfounded »nd foolish, but that at a time when AngloGorman relations are cordial they had been far better left unsaid. Here are some of the things attributed to Lieutenant-General Baden-Powell:—"If Germany -wanted to develop her trade and commerce she must first deal with England. The most vulner- > able position of our east coast was the centre." "Germany thought that if she could stab the British Empire in the heart *, the whole Empire; would fall in like a house - of cards." " The Germans were budding up a big navy for use against England. They ; were especially preparing vessels for laying explosive mines in the sea to close up the British Channel." "Our fellows . . . must expect to see many men killed, and -"'.-,' must bo prepared for that, and then, when ' they see piles of dead bodies, they are not horrified." " When the Germans come they will shoot down men, women, and children alike. And quite right, too, in war. You can't go to war in kid gloves." ' It is not often that one comes across a ':■',■,■ great singer who has pretty things to say about another great singer of her own-class - of voice—singers generally are so jealous of one another. So it is interesting and pleasant to record an exception to what is looked upon as the general rule in this respect, Madame Patti is the commentator, and her remarks—eulogistic in the extreme —have been called forth by the singing of Madame Tetrazzini in the character of Violetla in Verdi's " Traviata," a part which ' will for all times be associated with the ' mime of Patti herself. A few evenings ago V ! . the diva sat in the stalls at Covent Garden '.and listened once more with manifest de- '.'' light to the strains of the opera: the audience was a brilliant one, the vast theatre ;' . bring filled with heavers representing rank, fashion, beauty, arid intellect. The cast was a splendid one, but, of course, everybedv flocked to hear Tetrazzini; those who 1 ■ -Muld not afford reserved seats, or could not obtain them, waited outside the. doors of Covent Garden from eight a.m.. But that s lilisSV:': :: J';t-'.-':'-". ;-.-' : -.. : !.;V'.-''.'- : '.'-..'-. :■■■■.: ' -.;.-,- ■.;/'

nothing to enthusiastic Londoners; they enjoy the tedium of the twelve hours' interval. Tetrazzini has had her triumphs, but never has she made a greater conquest than by winning the whole-hearted admiration of Madame Patti, for after .the performance the latter "let herself go" with enthusiasm of the new " star." This is how Patti expressed herself : " I sat there enchanted, for I have never heard more perfect phrasing and enunciation. Madame Tetrazzini is a great prima donna, and, • apart from the phenomenal purity and brilliancy of her high notes, the ease and »"flexibility of her voice, and the beauty of her methods, her superb acting in the death scene and the •'farewell" duet brought a lump into my throat. I shall certainly take the first opportunity of hearing her again." Patti enjoined her interviewer to convey to Madame Tetrazzini her most heartfelt congratulations,, and this he subsequently did, only to find that she herself had forestalled him. "See," delightedly exclaimed the exponent of Violctta, "I have already a letter from Madame Patti !" The fetter began : "Brava! Brava! e encora brava!" and ended with the same words after the remark— "I heartily rejoice in your well-deserved triumph Let us hope that singers in smaller spheres will profit by this generous appreciation publicly expressed by one great singer for a successor. One cannot help regretting that Tetrazzini lacks the personal charm of her predecessor; who still is so petite and altogether dainty ana pleasing to gaze upon. But .Tetrazzini is going to sing the house is always thronged, and the' prices are raised; people go to hear her, and some listen with their eyes closed!

Through the generosity of Mr. J. J. Dltveen, one of the heads of the well-known Bond-street firm of art dealers, the notion will ere long be in possession of a magnificent addition 'to its picture galleries. For Mr. Duveon has offered to present a new wing, consisting of five galleries, to the Tate Gallery, and the offer has been accepted by Mr. Lewis Harcourt, First Commissioner of Works. The new addition to the building will probably be known as the "Turner Wing" for it is intended to place in it on loan the larger part of the Turner collection of oil paintings, water-colours, and drawings, for which there is not sufficient space at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. The Turner sketches which were recently discovered in the basement of the National Gallery, will also, it is . understood, find a homo in the new wing of the Tate Gallery. It may be said that beside making a magnificent gift to the British nation, Mr. Duveen is helping in the fulfilment of one of the provisions of Turner's will. As Mr. Harcourt put it, by accepting the offer and housing the Turner pictures in the new wing, " they would have attained to the nearest possible fulfilment of Turner's own desireto have all his works housed together in one gallery so that they might form a coherent whole."

It is stated at Portsmouth that the naval ceremonies at Quebec on the occasion of the coming visit of the Prince of Wales for the Tercentenary celebrations, will be far more imposing than was at first anticipated; His Royal Highness will be preceded to Canada by the majority of the ships of the Atlantic' Fleet, under the command of Vice-Admiral Sir A. G. Curzon-Howe, with Rear-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe as second in command. There, will be four battleships and two cruisers. It is understood that these six vessels will-await the Prince of Wales' arrival in the St. Lawrence and fire a Royal salute. His Royal Highness will make the voyage in one of the new armoured cruisers—probably the Indomitable, of 17,250 tons, the Dreadnought cruiser, of 25 knots, now completing for sea on the Clyde escorted by two other armoured cruisers. Never has such a, powerful and representative gathering of men-of-war been saen in Canadian waters. The American _ nation will be represented by the battleship New Hampshire, which has just been built at a cost of £1,600,000; the French fleet will also send a man-of-war. There is some idea that the Prince of Wales may be accompanied by his eldest son.

Matters musical at the Franco-British Exhibition have, like other things, got into a bit of a tangle. Some time ago I informed you that Sir C. Villiers Stanford had set to music an ode written by the Duke of Argyll, to be sung by a. vast choir at the opening of the Exhibition. The- authorities made a feature of that, and arranged that the choralists should be accompanied by massed bands. The composer, however, then put his foot down. His composition, ho maintained, had been written for an orchestra, and he, flatly refused to allow bands to play it. He has had his way, with the result 'that the choir will be split into three portions—or rather, will sing in three different places, at different times on the occasion of the opening next week, and at the State visit of the King and the French President. They will then mass on the Stadium and sing the " National Anthem" and "The. Marseilleise." If the weather be fine the effect should be grand. But it is rather a big if. However, we hope for the best. There is a movement on foot for the Exhibition to be opened on Sundays, it being argued that unless this be, done, week-end visitors from France will not have an opportunity of seeing the Exhibition, or at any rate of seeing much of it.