UNINVITED GUESTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19675, 29 June 1927, Page 11

UNINVITED GUESTS.

PEST OF LONDON SOCIETY. HOSTESSES MAKE A STAND. LONDON. June 3?. The Duchess of Sutherland has fired tho first shot in a new campaign against the • " crashers," or uninvited guests, who make a practice of walking in calmly to society balls and functions. "These people consist chiefly of young men and women on the fringe of society, the men, polite, debonair, immaculate, witty and excellent dancers, and the women pretty and daintily dressed. They sometimes flood the gatherings of popular hostesses to such an extent that they elbow the real guests out of the ballrooms and away from the supper tables, causing an undignified search for further, .provisions.' Recently supper dainties, including strawberries and caviare, at one popular house vanished magically, and many of the guests went without supper. The hostess counted up her guests the next morning, and found that she had unwittingly entertained 250 "crashers.", , . „ These uninvited guests cleverely wait until a .dance is in full swing and tho hostess is busy. Then they wander in without lints or top coats, as if they had just been smoking a cigarette outside. Freriuently they arc helped by the custom of holding joint dances. If they are challenged by one hostess they calmly say that they were invited by the other. It is also believed that criminals are included among " crashers " for the purpose of spying out the land before attempting a burglary. Hostesses, however, under the lead of the Duchess of Sutherland, have now decided that guests must show their invitation cards. The move coincides with the climax of the season, when balls at several of the famous houses are nightly making Mayfair the gayest place in the world.