LONDON LETTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18939, 9 December 1929, Page 15

LONDON LETTER.

Too Much Limelight The Prince is Cool Name Wanted The Savoy Priest as Publican—A Folk Museum. >

(Special to the “ Star.’) LONDON, October 24. Mr Ramsay MacDonald has emerged successfully from the ordeal of his mission to America. He has managed to avoid the numerous pitfalls which beset the path of a distinguished visitor to the United States, and his speeches have been extraordinarilv tactful. He has apparently succeeded in interesting the average American in the problems which confront the two nations, and that is a very great achievement. It was the average American who turned down President Wilson and would have nothing to do with the League of Nations or anything which savoured of commitments in Europe. According to all accounts, Mr Ramsay MacDonald's great speech in New York, which was broadcast throughout the United States, has had the effect of changing somewhat the perspective of this all-important personage, and this may react on the course of American politics. Mr MacDonald brings back nothing tangible, nor, indeed, was he expected to do so, but he has unquestionably improved the atmosphere. He wiD enter the House, which he will find in session, with enhanced prestige, but. according to present indications, that prestige will be badly needed by his colleagues who are not quite happy just at present, and are expecting a troublous time. The troubles of the Labour Ministry will start with the resumption of the session. Too Much Limelight. Meetings of the Conservative leaders and of the Liberal leaders a-re being held to determine the general attitude to be taken up towards the Government during the next few months. I > Thomas is by no means averse from standing in the political limelight, but he may find the glare rather strong during the next few weeks. The first point of attack on the Government will be their unemployment policy. At the last election every Laboui candidate assured the electorate that the Labour Party had a real remedv for that trouble. But so far the remedy has not been produced. Mr Thomas is tinkering at various schemes, but there is nothing novel in any scheme which has been mentioned, and so far Mr Thomas has done nothing more than any previous Minister might have done. There are rumours that Mr Thomas, although he once disclaimed any idea of being a conjuror, has still something “up his sleeve,” but this may be doubted. Meanwhile unemployment is increasing and the remedies so easily promised at the last election are not forthcoming. The Prince As Airman. The Prince of Wales has given up hunting for the coming season, in accordance with his father’s wishes, but this time it is less of a wrench to hi mbecause he is so interested in flying. The public would be surprised to learn how many hundreds of miles he has flown in the last six weeks, and he admits it to be the thrill

of his life. In combination with his enthusiasm for golf, varied by squash racquets, when in town, he finds his physical energies well occupied. So many people have remarked how nervous the Prince appears to be at public functions that it is a relief to know that in the air he is cool and collected. He was perhaps over-dashing in the hunting field, but in the air he shows all the wariness of an “old hand.” The announcement that if the King continues to progress tow’ards recovery, the Prince will visit Canada next August, will be welcome in the dominion. The Prince’s charm and his pronounced love of sport have brought him a measure of popularity akin to hero-worship. It is appropriate that so keen a sportsman should represent the King at the British Empire Games, which will be held at Hamilton, Ontario, in the month of his visit, and if, as is suggested, the Duke of Gloucester accompanies him, there will be two Royal representatives of English sport. But the outstanding item on the Prince’s programme will be his much overdue visit to his ranch, which he would have made this year if it had not been for the King's illness. Mr J. H. Thomas has just been trying to improve our commercial relations with Canada, and the Prince’s visit will assist greatly in this direction. In Search Of A Name. It is unfortunate that the Air Ministry has not thought of a name for the great airship which is now cruising over the length and breadth of the land so that it might become established in popular . favour. Perhaps, however, the Ministry have taken warning by the sad example of the Admiralty, when, before the War, they built the first British rigid airship, and were so incautious as to name the incomplete ship in its shed “ Mayfly.” The unintentionally expressed doubt was justified when the unfortunate “ Mayfly ” broke her back on launching and without leaving the earth. Since that day, all rigid airships have been simply “R ” and a number. The ninth was the first to fly, and only R 26 and R 29 were serviceable craft until, after several copies of captured Zeppelins, R3B was built and provided a tragedy. A later model, RBO, was a lone experiment, and now a fresh start has been made with the series one hundred. Numerous suggestions for names have been put forward, including a whole sheaf by Mr A. P. Herbert, the caustic humorist, who expresses himself shocked to find RlOl going about the skies “ labelled like a taxi-cab.” “ A.P.11.” would be satisfied if any one of the following names were chosen:—Queen of England, or Queen of the Clouds, Fairy Queen, The White Queen, or Boadicea, all signifying majesty; Wingless Victory, Flying i Friend, Bird of Peace, or British Dove expressive of Peace; Flying Briton’ British Matron, or Ishbel (presumably referring to the Prime Minister’s daughter) ; Silver Swan, Silver Goose Silver Witch, Silver Shadow, or Long fohn Sliver; Sky Knight, White Knight, or Flying Knight; Albatross, Grey Goose The Great White Whale, Flying Fish’

Ariel or Snow Cloud; and then, letting imagination run riot, The New Moon, Milady London, Ladybird, or Daddy-long-legs! Actually, RlOl resembles a codfish, but that is unpoetical, and a name may be chosen to commemorate a British airship pioneer. Savoy Theatre’s Jubilee. The reconstruction of the Savoy Theatre is a jubilee celebration two : years before the half-century has been rounded off. It was in October, 1881, that the original theatre was opened with. the first performance of “Patience,” and the theatre was continuously the home of what came to be known as Savoy opera until 1909. Since then there has been a gap of twenty years, during which Savoy opera has been played on many stages, but not on that of its birthplace. This week sees a home-coming, but it is a return to the old home only by name. The original outer walls and the stage remain, but the interior has been entirely reconstructed and decorated in silver and gold. A novelty of the upholstery work is that every seat in the stalls and the two tiers of circles differs in colour from its neighbours. A dozen different hues are employed to secure refreshing variety for the eye. All seats will be bookable, but those for the upper circle can be secured only on. the day of the performance. One innovation in the booking arrangements shows a nice concern for the interests of the countless lovers of Savoy opera in country places who have difficulty in booking seats through agencies. A certain number of seats are set aside to meet applications received by post, and in the allocation of these priority will be given to letters received from outside the London postal area. This is the first time a London theatre has taken pains to show special consideration for country visitors. It may be counted graceful acknowledgment of the loyalty of country theatre-goers to the performances of the D’Oyly Carte companies on tour. In one of the boxes at the opening performance was Miss Jessie Bond, who was in the cast at that first performance in 1881. A Priest as Publican. A novel experiment in improved housing is being made in Somers Town, a poor quarter lying behind St Pancras Station. Part of the scheme provides for a substantial block of working class flats with an imposing exterior and generous window space, a passage at one end giving access to a grass plot. Mr Noel Buxton, as a Minister of the Crown, gave an official cachet to the opening ceremony, while the Bishop of Willesden pronounced a blessing on the building. Chief interest, however, centred on the figure of a tall young priest who is the moving spirit in the improvement scheme whereby one hun dred families will be rehoused at the low rental per room of four shillings and sixpence a week, with the fr e addition of a bathroom and kitchenette in each flat. Father Basil Jellicoe realises that comfortable houses can only form part of any measure of social reform, and that recreational facilities must be provided. It is no less true to-day than formerly that the corner public house, uncomfortable though it may be, fills, in many cases, the place of a working man’s club, where he lingers to discuss the affairs of the day. The licensee endeavours to ensure that the glasses are kept filled, and as a result of the treating system peculiar to English-speaking countries many customers take more than is good for them. The old order Is being changed by certain firms of brewers, who are try ing to introduce the cafe atmosphere, and, with the consent of the licensing Justices, one firm has agreed to make Father Jellicoe manager of The Anchor, which is to be opened as a Christian public house. Portraits of the reverend gentleman in black cassock and biretta, standing in the bar behind the handles of the beer engines, have already appeared in

the Press, and the house is likely to enjoy a great vogue.

A Folk Museum. The establishment of a Folk Museum in London is regarded as one of the best necessary constructive recommendations of the Museums and Galleries Commission. It has often beei suggested, and long before the war the Crystal Palace and its grounds were put forward as its ideal habitat, but the plan came to nothing. The Commission mention as likely sites the Botanic Gardens in Regent’s Park, which the Royal Botanic Society will give up in three years’ time, or the 66 acres of ground around Chiswick House. An open-air, as well as an indoor, museum would be essential to set up differentkinds of cottages, watermills, windmills, horse-mills and oast-houses, A few more years’ delay, and we sha .1 lose half the remains which illustrate past country life. From many old barns it would still be possible to recover the various forms of ox yoke, ox. goads, primitive ploughs, flails and reaping and thatching tools. There are still men who have used them, but the younger generation has no sentimental interest in their preservation. Other countries have realised how desirable it is to preserve these illustrations of the way our ancestors worked and lived. Thus, in the “ Shausen ” at Stockholm, peasants’ houses of all kinds have been rebuilt in a large open park, all fitted with appropriate furniture or tools.