LONDON CHAT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18293, 9 July 1921, Page 13

LONDON CHAT.

EAST AND WEST. CROWN PRINCE OF JAPAN, "OUR FRIEND.” (From Oph Own Correspondent.) LONDON, May 13. M non the Japanese Crown Prince arrived at "Victoria, alter Ids reception at Portamonth by tin- Prince of Wales, be glanced somewhat nervously at the imposing array of British and Japanese naval and military officers in full-dress uniform with a background of tho Scots Guards resplendent in scarlet tunics and black huskies, but with a kindly smile, the King, who wore ~ field-marshal's uniform with the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, quickly put him at Ids ease. Japan’s "youugi man’’ shook hands witli tile King, with the Duke of Connaught, and the Duke of York, and saluted distinguished British admirals and generals, and then drove off in State to Buckingham Palace. In the afternoon he placed a wren lb on the Cenotaph and event to tho Tomb of the Unknown in the Abbey. -■P tie Mate banquet in the evening the King fell sure that “Our guest will visit no city, no home, which had not made great sacrifices in tho cause of the- Allies, which was also the cause cf Japan. He will find our commerce still disorganised by the world-wide exhaustion abroad, and by the burden of taxation at home. He will find our most important industry sterilised by a stern economic dispute. But because ho is our friend wo are net afraid for him to see our troubles and to dra.\v his own conclusion from what he sees; for we know that his sympathy is with us and that ho will understand.” The King very felicitously referred to the several visits to Japan of Prinee Arthur of Connaught, ana said that what gave the latter special pleasure wa.s that the Japanese people gratified his wish to make extensive country trips and to observe the life of tho people without formality or constraint. They made him "at home” in their delightful land; “and it is my special wish that your Imperial Highness. Prince Kanoin, and the gentlemen who attend you, may all feel equally ’at home’ in the British Isles. One of tho guests at Buckingham Palace was Sir James Allen. GUILDHALL GREETING.

Yesterday the Crown Prince went in full State to the City, accompanied by the Prince of Wales, and in the procession of six other carriages were members of tho visitors’ suite. He is a slight young man wearing glasses, and he was in Japanese military dre-s uniform, with the sash of the Order of the Bath conferred on him by the King on Monday. In the Guildhall the band of the Coldstream Guards played light music while the guests assembled, and it was responsible for an unpremeditated joke that sent an audible smile through the scones of dignity and splendour. The second item was u selection from “Chu Chin Chow," and it pleased tho little gods of chance and merriment; to arrange that the playing of the familiar “Robbers’ Chorus” should synchronise with tho entry cf the Lord Mayor and Corporation. with all the glories of mace and Sword of State. TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY.

By the Lord Mayor the Crown Prince was presented with a gold casket containing the address of welcome. Stepping forward to return thanks, his Imperial Highness carried a great- white scroll, and, holding this with both hands, lie unrolled it and fixed his eye .on the bottom left hand corner of the document. Speaking in loud, penei rating tones, ho read the reply in Japanese. It was curious Mo follow (ho movement of the Prince’s eyes as they followed the characters from the bottom to the top of the scroll. He recalled with solemn feelings the anxious days when "we, as Allies, fought together in the great common cause. I .Till happy that the war is now over t but our responsibility is fit’ll tremendous, for it is entirely for us. the survivors, to redeem the bloodshed of millions of am- fcllow-mon bjP establishing for all time the reign of pence and justice.” What ho said was translated by Count Chinda.

It is clear to the Morning Pott that, like the Prince of Wales, his Imperial Highness is a great traveller, who is setting out to do for Japan what the Prince of Wales has done and is doing for Groat, Britain. “Happy are the countries which have such eager servants in their cause. . . . Japan and Great Britain are allies, and (ho Anglojapaneso alliance has been not only of incalculable benefit to the two countries, but has also proved itself one of the great bulwarks of peace and ordered government in the Fast.” In the evening there was a banquet at Ft. James’s Palace, with the Prince of Wales ns the host. Sir .Tamer, Allen was one of the specially invited guests. PICTURE BOOK FOR THE BLIND.

A picture book for tho blind is the latest work -n St. Dunstau’s Institute. It aims at giving tiicse who cannot see an opportunity of becoming familiar with some of the architectural wonders of the world. One picture shows Eleanor’s Cross, nt Charing Gross, with its proportions and architectural features represented by embossed dots printed from nieial plates. Even a. taxi in the station yard is not omitted, and a perfectly correct idea of the monument can bo obtained by touch. The Rialto bridgeat Venice, with a gondola on the canal; tho leaning tower of Pisa; an oasis in tho dessert, with a resting camel quenching its thirst; the Groat Wall of China; a bison charging across the prairie; a lion on a hillock ; the- details of a Norman arch, and a Gothic, window are among tho ether pictures. Those are supplemented with various diagrams, such as the section of a heart, the anatomy of a butterfly, a spider’s web, an electric bell, all of great value for instructional purposes, and all capable of being thoroughly understood yby simple touch alone. PIPE-SMOKING FOR WOMEN. The woman smoker lias at last ventured into the London streets with a pipe. A young woman has been soon in Burlington areade. casually filling her pipe from a neat little pouch specially made for the feminine handbag. The pipe was half the size of a man’s briar, made of black wood, with a. very thin stem. It is said that society women, in increasing numbers, are smoking pipes in their boudoirs, and, oddly enough, it is the woman of leisure and tho business girl who appear to have token most favourably to it. A woman pioneer ci this cull writes that pipe-smoking among women will increase, because it is more healthy than cigarettes, and much cheaper; and, once the tobacco habit has been acquired, it is more satisfying. Girl cigarette smokers take on an average 10 and 20 a day. and as many as 30 to 40 are nor unheard of. “Since I started with my pipe,” she adds, “my tobacco bill has dropped from 7s weekly for cigarettes to 2s a week for tobacco’ —doubtless a very excellent reason which women will give for becoming slaves to the pipe. TICKETS FOR HOSPITAL. In view of the necessity for added funds for upkeep St. George’s Hospital lias inaugurated a sy-stem very much on the lines of the box office in a picture palace. The “box office keeper,” or clerk, is provided with robs of tickets, numbered in rotation, and of different colours, for which payment is required from out-patients. A regular scale of charges has been instituted. Blue tickets costing 6<l are for casualties. Red tickets, price Is, nre_ for ordinary outpatients (medical, surgical, dental, obstetric, ophthalmic, etc.), and green tickets, costing nothing under 2s, are for patients requir ing c-leotrical or massage treatment or both. There are snccial tickets for war pensioners, coming to tlio hospital for treatment as outpatients. Yellow tickets are issued to patients who cannot afford to pay. Tho people who receive treatment realise the hospital has to live, and they do their best to help. The authorities hope that tho patients’ contributions for 1921 will amount to £7OOO, which, however, is only n drop in the ocean compared with tho total cost of yunning tiro hospital for the period—£Bs,ooo. In-patients who on investigation are found to be able to nay, contribute from 10s 6d to £3 3s weekly towards the cost of their treatment, whereas tho average cost per patient per week is £4 7s fid. RACE RENEWAL. Princess Christian was present at the annual conference of (be National Council for tho Promotion of Race Renewal, Physical, Moral, and Spiritual, held by invitation of the Marquess of Crewe, when tho subject discussed was tho claims of the youth of our race. The Bishop of Birmingham presided, and among others present were tho Earl of Onslow and Sir James Allen, the Rev. R. J. Campbell, and tho Rev. F. B. Meyer. The Bishop of Birmingham remarked that there was no greater inspiration than (ho love of youth, but, unfortunately, owing to tho war, our youth had been sadly neglected so far as discipline and training were concerned, with the result that their characters had in many cases suffered. If the youth of the kingdom were not to suffer permanent hurt, they must he helped in various ways.

Lord Onslow said that, some people were inclined to ho pessimistic as to ihe social conditions of the present day. and to prophesy a dark future for the coming generation It was useless to try' and stand in the face of changes, although possibly the immediate consequences of those

dm rues might he deplored by many. The means of knowledge were increasing every day, Newspapers, which were a valuable adjunct to education, were more widely circulated than ever before, and popular books were more accessible. The cinema, also rightly used, must he regarded ns a valuable help. Their remained ample scope for education in matters of health. A great deal had been done as regards maternity and infant- welfare, of which there was satisfactory proof in the fall in infantile mortality ‘ from 154 per thousand in 1900 to 80 in" 1920. There was a groat field yet for effort, and especially voluntary effort. Lord Askwilh considered the suggestion made in some quarters that the young should bo left to work out their own salvation, to he a counsel of despair. It was by teaching the hands as well as the brains, and impressing on the youth of both sexes iho dignity of labour, that the best could bo brought cut. Admitting the educative advantages of the kinoma as being likely to attract the young, lie regretted that there were many exhibition? that brought into plav ideas and imaginations that were absolutely harmful and calculated to turn youth into apaches. The Rev. 11. .1. Campbell said one omy had to read lhe daily reports in the now*Pm.ers It, realise the deplorable fact that b iidlv ever had there keen a time in our national history when (he marriage tics were mere loosely hold. No eoucation could bo complete without the teaching of morality, DR BARN ADO'S HOMES,

The council of Dr Barnardo's Homes has decided to raise a “William Baker Commemoration Fund” in recognition of the services rendered to the institutions by the late Mr William Baker, who in 1905 gave up a lucrative practice at thfc Chancery Bar in order to succeed the late Dr Barnnrdo in the honorary directorship. It •« hoped to raise £50,000, which will bo utilised to secure a large mansion and estate near Hertford, known as Goldings, winch has been offered to the institutions at a most advantageous figure. Jo these healthy surroundings will be transferred the boys’ "technical instruction centre now at Stepney. *Situated within 26 miles of London, the estate consists of 50 acres of open country. Should the appeal _ which is to ho made enlist generous public support, it is intended that 300 hovs. most of them saved from lives of destitution and misery, shall be maintained there to. bo taught some useful trade, and to bo transformed into useful and self-respecting citizens. HOMECRAFT TRAINING.

To meet the situation created by the widespread unemployment, among women the ('antral (Committee of Women’s Tram ing and Employment propose to set up at various centres throughout the United Kingdom tici-T'" c'-ilrc.s for suitable unskilled women, between the ages of 18 and 33. normally in emn'o.vment, but at proscut unemployed, covering a, period of 13 weeks, during which instruction will he given for 30 hours in each week in cooking, laundry, housewifery, needlework, infant rare and home nursing, and general sulneets, including sufficient arithmetic to enable a woman to make out her weekly budget, together with physical exercises and singing by way of recreation. While the Joining of the classes does not involve any obligation whatever to enter domestic service, it is boned tWt a certain proper lion of those who qualify will lie eventually observed into such work. For the pm-nose of establishing tbe classes the Central Committee have set •■'S’do a sum of £IOO.OOO, to which the Ministry of labour have added £SO,OCX) the residue of their Women Training Branch grant of £500.000, on the understanding that it is devoted to training in domestic subjects. Local education and muni'iml authorities have undertaken to eo-enerare in the setting up of the centres on tlie understanding that thev shall not read the ratepayers anything. The women will he paid maintenance during training at the rate of £1 per week of 30 hours.