OUR LONDON LETTER

Taranaki Daily News, 13 October 1928, Page 22

OUR LONDON LETTER

NEWS FRONT THE HOMELAND

LORD HALDANE AND VICTORY. London, August 23, It was by his own choice that Lord Haldane, having swept the boards of academic distinctions as a Scottish undergraduate, went to German universities in preference to Oxford or Cambridge. Ho took the view, which I am not sure he ever abandoned, that tlie English seats of learning did not attach sufficient value to work. It was in Gotten’gen —to use the ilil-advised and mis-represented phrase of after years—that Germany became his ‘‘spiritual home.” Many student friendships then formed he retained throughout his life, and one of them, with Kiderlin-Waechter, might have led to happier relations between their - countries had it not been cut short by death. In Germany, too, he learned that plain living is not essential to high thinking, and that abstruse philosophy does not preclude a fine taste in wines and cigars. ORGANISER OF VICTORY. It was one of the greatest ironies of the war that the Minister who made the largest contribution to our military efficiency should have been sacrificed to ignorant public clamour, which represented him as a pio-German. With the assistance of men like Sir John Ewart. Sir James Grierson, and Sir Douglas, whom he brought home from India for tho purpose, Lord Haldane, while at the War Office, laid the plans which enabled the expeditionary force to be sent overseas with unprecedented speed and silence that could not be publicly explained at the time. HALDANE AND MEREDITH. In George Meredith’s later years, when he was too crippled to move far from his small Hint cottage looking up the grassy northern slope of Boxhill, John Morley used to take down to him weekly one or more of his political contemporaries to dine with the novelist, and catch a train back to London in time for the last division in the House of Commons. Among such visitors was Lord Haldane, who had many tastes in common with his host—knowledge of European men and places, an interest in philosophy, a love of good wine, and an excited joy in talk for its own sake. Viscount Grey and Mr. John Dillon were also among the occasional guests. Meredith and Haldane must have been rather a’ difficult pair, for they were both better talkers than listeners. Except Lord Grey and Mr. G. M. Trevelyan, practically the whole group has disappeared, and the little cottage passed into the hands of strangers when tho novelist died. COATS’ FAMILY GENEROSITY. -Long as is the list of large fortunes accumulated by the Coats family, it should be read in the light of the public benefactions they have made. Paisley, which is their headquarters, although they have factories all over the world, has churches, libraries, public parks, and many other amenities gifted by one or other of the Coats’ firm. One of them used to cruise the western coast in bis yacht—most of the family have been great yachtsmen—having on board a skilled oculist whom he instructed to test the eyesight of the villagers who so desired, and provide them with spectacles free of charge. He used to buy up the whole stock of locally-woven Harris tweed, and distribute it among his friends, and he presented every Village school in the West Highlands with a library. I think it was the same gentleman who disliked the noise and smell of iiis steam yacht, and could not tolerate the uncertain progress of a sailing yacht. So he solved the problem by using the steam vessel to tow the sailing one on which he lived. “LONDON IN RUIN’S!”

The London newspapers have wildly exaggerated the potential damage done by last week’s air attacks on the capital of the Empire. A distinguished R.A.F. officer expressed this view to me to-day, and added that several vital factors have been completely overlooked by the “stunt” journals that talk of London being in ruins. The truth is that, though admittedly with only a bare margin of numerical efficiency, our London defences in the air are now excellent. But since tho war our once splendid auxiliary ground defences have been allowed to lapse. Had last week’s air movements been the “real thing,” however, many hundreds more guns and searchlights would have ringed London round. Their positions, often camouflaged bygrass and foliage, exist still, and the guns and lights are in store. My informant was willing to wager that, under real conditions, not five per cent, of invading planes would get through, and, of these, four out of five would never get back.

OLD CRICKETERS. Who was the “champion cricketer” before “W.G.”’ In an old cricket calendar appears the following entry, under date August 22, 1854: “Lillywhite, the champion cricketer, died at Islington from cholera.” Now, what was Lilly whites occupation after he gave up cricket? Did he keep a hostelry at Islington? So many professional cricketers used to feel “called to the bar.” Or was he the founder of the famous firm of Lillywhite, Frowde and Co.? The. sporting outfitters’ business has great attractions for wieldcrs of the willow. The famous William Gunn, of Notts, died a few years ago, and left quite a tidy fortune derived from such a venture. Bobby Abel's shop at Kennington used to be almost as big an attraction as the gasometer. Frank Sugg is another. But the Mecca of all small boys in London, who want bats (or autographs), is Jack Hobbs' shop in Fleet Street. KING GEORGE TN SCOTLAND. Tills week the King reached Balmoral and commenced a holiday which he enjoys more than any other. Beyond the sporting facilities afforded by grouse and stags, the King passes hjs time in living the life of a Scottish laird of the old school, enjoying the solitude and beauty of the moors, meeting many local residents—the humble as well as the aristocracy of the neighbourhood —and entertaining on a modest scale his own immediate Scottish friends and the few' English friends whose company he en-| joys. As far as possible, official routine i is dispensed with, and the stay in Scot-, land is a real holiday. When bis Majesty!

’shoots grouse lie goes out for a few hours either before or after luncheon, but does not now make of tho sport the long day’s outings he once did. In the same way, deer stalking is enjoyed. Balmoral forest harbours some splendid stags, and the King’s record of heads is an enviable one, numbering some of tho finest antlers in tho country. DUKE'S 111 VJTNG HKSIDENi E. The Duke of York has at last gratified his desire to have a hunting residence in the Pytchley Hunt country. He has secured a lease of Naseby Hall, N' -thamptonshire, for the winter. The desirable feature of tho hall is its excellent accommodation for the Duke’s hunters. There are now being grazed along with the Prince’s at Lon ton and the Home Farm on the Duchy. H.R.H. did more hunting last season than in any season before, and its fascination developed, so that this year he intends to put in a full season in the saddle. One difficulty tho Duke has experienced was in getting a house at which he and the Duchess could entertain. This they will be enabled to do at NaSeby Hall, which is commodious and pleasantly situated right in tho heart of the pick of the English packs. The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Gloucester, on their return from Africa, will get a few weeks’ solid huntin'!. AN AMERICAN GENTLEMAN. The late Colonel George Harvey made lots of firm friends during his brief term as U.S. Ambassador in London. He was the best type of American gentleman, with all the typical dynamic energy and keen sporting instinct of his countrymen, but with a fine urbanity, a polished intellectuality, and the most perfect tact. Though he looked, even to his horn-rims, the real hundred per cent. American, aand had been oe of the foremost critics of Dr. Woodrow Wilson and tho League of Nations, ho never ceased to cultivate good relations between this country and his own, was an enthusiastic admirer of England and even risked the obloquy of his own people by appearing in Court dress at big London functions, America knew him us “the President Maker,” but London as a very human golfer with an amiable weakness for “haid” drinks. AT THE SEASIDE. The old idea among Society women of tending their small people to the seaside with their nurses for the summer holidays, while they themselves went country-house visiting, is breaking down a little. The younger mothers take much more personal interest in their nurseries than Society mothers used to do. There are many smart young matrons at quiet seaside places along tho South Coast just now, giving a hand with the amusement of their children. Lady Bradford lias taken her younger girls away to the seaside. Lady Violet Astor always spends most of the summer on the sands with her children. Tho Hon. Mrs. Richard Norton went so far this year as to take her two small people—the most charming girl and boy imaginable—to Deauville with her for a fortnight. Lady Astor puts in the greater part of the Parliamentary recess with her boys. And Lady Irwin is at her Yorkshire home, with her debutante daughter and her three sous. AN 01.0 INN. I Housebreakers have just demolished the last traces of the old Bolt-in-Tun, Fleet Street's oldest hostelry, which dated back to the 15th century at least, and Henry V’s gallant epoch. It is just possible that Sir John Falstalf himself may have quaffed his sack within its hospitable portals. Its sign was an arrow striking a cask, and, like its name, was a punning device adopted for his rebus by Prior Bolton, of adjacent St. Bartholomews’ Priory, where it may still be observed carved into the stonework. Later the Bolt-in-Tun became a famous coaching tavern, the last London house to run a stage coach in competition against a regular railway line. You could see the marks, on its ancient timbers, where the coach axles rubbed. As usual the robot won, and had a sardonic revenge. The Bolt-in-Tun ended its days as the parcels office of the L.M.S. ON BOARD THE VICTORY. Visitors to the G Victory” during Navy Week at Portsmouth, which began on Saturday, will hear fascinating stories concerning life on board in Nelson’s day related for the first time, Lord Nelson had three cabins, one for sleeping, another for dining and entertaining, and a third for work. At one period ho occupied these cabins for two years without setting foot ashore. The walls of the “Victory” arc two feet thick. The lower yard weighs ten tons. A full-sized cricket pitch could be set on the mainsail. The acreage of the sails was 25,U00 square feet. Some of the- ropes were eight inches thick. Ona hundred and forty men worked at the capstan. When she set sail for a voyage she had a supply of fifty tons of coal for the cooking galley. The original cat o’nhie tails will bo shown. The bosun gave the first dozen. and each of his mates gave a. dozen in order of seniority. The visitors will also see the pikes and tomahawks, which were stacked near the guns ready to repel boarders. Some of the original guns are still there. The 32-pounders could carry a mile and a half, but effective range was about 700 yards. At that distance a round shot would penetrate two feet of oak. Some names which are slang to-day were in [ official use on the "Victory.” A “waister” was a man who was usefully employed in the waist of the ship because he was unlit to go aloft. Later, men who were not employed in the watches were termed “idlers.” A “nipper” was a small boy who assisted men in bawling the hawser. The “Victory” was built at Chatham, but -lie is the priceless possession of Portsmouth.