A Letter from London

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19871, 20 June 1927, Page 10

A Letter from London

Special Correspondent.

All Rights Reserved.

LONDON May 5. Gallery and. Lobby The impressions which a visitor gaine when ho studies the House of Commons are somewhat those of awe. The Speaker in his robe and wig, the well-known occupants of the Government bench and the front row of the Opposition, all are invested with a halo of tradition. Ministers and members come trdbping out from the chamber. The Premier and the Chancellor of the Exchequer come through, -walking close together and in deep conversation. With the impressions of the gallery still clinging to him the visitor expects to overhear some fragment of talk about affairs of state. They pass close by. “One mutton chop, then 1 ?” “Yes, old man, nicely grilled. They part company at the staircase —the Chancellor to deposit his despatch box and the P.M. to order supper for him in the restaurant. It is the human touch, and more convincing perhaps than the stage effect. Opposition’s Interim Leader. Mr. Clynes, who in Mr Ramsay Macdonald’s absence moved the rejection of the Trade Disputes Bill, has lost a good deal of ground.during the last few years. Since he was superseded for the leadership he has taken the minimum share in House of Commons work; and when the Socialises were in office, though he was leader of the House, he never spoke when he could avoid it. His quiet, polished manner, with a fine vocabulary—the result of having had a dictionary as the first book that interested him —does not attract the more ardent spirits, and he is at no pains to play down to them. He has one advantage over his leader. He has large experience of the work of trade union organisation, a sphere in which Mr Macdou- | aid has never been more than a spectator. Mr Clynes is a keen reader and musician, and when he was at Downing Street his musical parties were regarded as a pleasant innovation. A certain lack of physical vigour and a consequent depression of manner are a serious handicap in his political career. Russian Trade. Why the Soviet State Bank should think it worth while to send me its “Monthly Survey’’ 1 do not know. Its mass of statistics show that trade and employment was about the same in February as in January but considerably better than a year ago. The only valuable tables, however, are those which compare present with pre-war conditions. These disclose the striking fact that imports from abroad were equal to only 35 per cent, of 1913 and the exports to 48 per cent. The figures also make the surprising revelation that .of all the European countries, Great I Britain is by far Russia’s best customer, even better than contiguous Germany, j in spite of the strained political relaI lions between Moscow and London. These figures do not afford much ground for Hi - “Hands off Russia’’ slogan. Incidentally, apart from a single misprint the Survey is in excellent English. Lord Oxford’s Health. I hear that though Lord Oxford is confined to the house by a sharp attack of neuritis he is bearing the affliction with his characteristic stoicism, and is continuing his work on his book of re minsccnces. Unike most men who have enjoyed almost uninterrupted good health during a long life he makes a good patient. It was not till after he had been Prime Minister for several years that he had to pay his first doctor’s bill. This is all the more surprising in view of the fact that, apart from a little golf, he has taken little exercise,

and has generally treated with contempt the rules of dietetic and other health cranks. The New Lord Cowdray. Major Harold Pearson, who, on his father’s sudden death, becomes second Viscount Cowdray, sat in the House of i Commons for twelve years for the Eye I division of Suffolk, which seems to have i a fancy for young members. At one time it was believed that the Major would take a prominent part in public affairs, but latterly he has limited his political interest to ownership of one of the Liberal party newspapers. He is a keen polo player, and has generously supported the game, which has become ; almost his only recreation from the| huge business of the family. Major; Pearson has one son and five daughters. 1 one of them a twin with the new heir i apparent to the peerage. Lord Cowd- i ray’s only sister is Lady Denman, who used to be a familiar figure in the peeresses gallery, generally in black with a magnificent string of pearls. But since she and her husband returned from Australia they have not taken the same interest in the fortunes of their party. Lord Balfour’s Decision. Lord Balfour had good reason to be present at the annual re-union of the members of British delega.ions to the United States, for in the opinion of his friends his visit to that country renewed his youth. He showed while there a buoyancy of spirit and an affability which won the hearts of the Americans, although they were surprised to find themselves, with Lord Riddell’s assistance, completely beaten in an art of which they regard themselves as the finest exponents —that of publicity. Lord Balfour did not tell his hearers an incident I have heard him narrate in a smaller company—how, without warning, ho had to make up his mind in an instant whether he would accept Mr; Hughes’ scheme of naval reduction , at once or plead, as he might legitimately have done, that on a matter so import- 1 ant he must ask for instructions from his Government. Lord Balfour recognised that the latter course would throw a wet blanket over the whole proceedings, and, without hesitation, he declared British adhesion. Only a man of his unique record could have assumed such a responsibility, almost the greatest ever cast on a British statesman. Lord Roseberry, Octogenarian. Though Lord Rosebery has been out of public life for some years, he remains in the mind of those who remember his last platform appearances as the embodiment of almost perpetual youth, and it is difficult to realise that he is within a week of his eightieth birthday. Though physically crippled, he is still mentally alert, and follows public and literary affairs with undiminishod keenness. He made his first important speech in Parliament so long' ago as 1872 on the Ballot Act of that, year. Except for an occasional visit to I Dalmeny, his seat on the banks of the I forth, Lord Rosebery spends most of his time at his Epsom residence, where his favourite companion is his eleven-years-old grand-daughter, the only child of the late Noil Primrose. Now and again,

sometimes late at night, his equipage, a ; iwo-horsc carriage, with a postillion, can be seen ou the quieter roads of the , North Downs where motors arc few. Russian Schoolboys. The public schools now reuniting for the summer terms have longer waiting lists than ever and it is clear that the education they offer, although often criticised, is still regarded as the best. A well-known headmaster tells mo that many schools are now faced with a difficult problem. They have Russian boys in the school whose parents are refugees from the Soviet regime and who have been maintained by the gradual sale of jewellery and other property. Now these possessions arc coining to an end and school fees are not being punctually paid. No schoolmaster likes to sec rhe education of a promising boy interrupted, but in several cases tactful intimations have bee sent that boys must not come back to school unless preceded by a cheque.

New First Sea Lord. Seniority has played a party in the selection of the new First Sea Lord, for Sir Charles Madden stands several places higher up than Sir Boger Keyes or any of the other likely candidates. But it is seniority allied with unusual experience, for no other admiral now serving has flown his flag, like Sir Charles did, for ten and a half years continuously in fleets at sea, including over four years of war. In August, 1914, he had just given up command of the Second Cruiser Squadron and was to have gone to the Admiralty. Instead, he accompanied Admiral Jellicoe to the Iron Duke as Chief of Staff. The two were more than friends, for both had married sisters, daughters of Sir Charles Cayzcr, the shipowner. The admirals served together until November,

1916, when the partnership was dissolved by Jellicoe being brought to the Admiralty. Madden then became Second-in-Command of the Grand Fleet under Beatty, and after the war was over he succeeded Beatty in the chief command. It is thus a natural sequence that ho should again follow him as First Sea Lord. üßt owing to the long term which the latter has had in office Mad- j den will only be able to serve two years before the retiremnt rules overtake him. • The Fleet at Shanghai. The international fleet which is now j assembled in the Yangtse River is one; of the like of which has certainly never been seen before. Numbering over 100 vessels, it includes the units of eight; different Powers. About 40 vessels are at Shanghai, 30 at Hankow, aaid the i other 30 off the other Treaty ports in | the river. The marine architect or ship- i builder who could make an inspection j of the force would find much to interest and instruct, for the vessels are of all shapes and sizes, old and new. The British contingents include our oldest gunboat, the Woodcock, completed in 1898, and our newest cruiser, tho Enterprise. America’s ships also present the same contrast, for while their flagship, the Pittsburg, was completed ini

1905, she moors alongside the cruiser Richmond, completed 20 years later. France and Italy have ships out there which did good work in the late war against the U boats, including the French flagship, Jules Michelet, which was at the Dardanelles. Marshall Hall’s Fortune. Outside the legal profession there is probably very little surprise that Sir Edward Marshall Hall’s estate exceeds £lOO,OOO, but Sir Edward’s/ brother lawyers are very pleasantly surprised. It has often been said that criminal law brings very small rewards to those who practice it, and during Sir Edward’s life it was one of the commonest sayings that, he, in spite of his unique position as a “jury persuaded,” made a smaller income than many juniors at the common law bar. This was evidently entirely untrue, because there are remarkably few juniors—or leaders, for ihat matter—whose estates would pass tho £50,000 mark.

Those Distant Shrines. The latest of the St. Barnabas PilI grimages is now on the high seas, eastward bound for the British military ‘ cemeteries that mark where our valiant manhood challenged destiny on the far- ’; off battlefields of the Great War. Since [ j tho Armistice a fund ever £17,000 , has been raised for this purpose, and [; more than 6,000 relatives have paid i visits to their dead heroes’ graves. The ( present pilgrimages numbers 225 rela- , I tives and friends of dead warriors, and I includes ten mothers anxiously making ’ 1 at last a long-cherished mission to their special unknown shrines. Not only the ’ • cemeteries in Egypt and Palestine will . be visited, but those of far-famed Gal Lij poli, and calls arc to be made at Cyprus, Rhodes, Crete, Malta and Naples. Tho I tour will not be concluded till the ►‘■nd of the present month. Nobody who : I secs these pilgrimages set forth could ! fail to be impressed by the loving spirit ! of memory that inspires what might so ’ easily degenerate into a grand picnic. The politicians may have done so, but ’ the common people have not forgotten. Buying Pictures. A dealer in pictures who went round ■ the Academy to-day says that more pic- ■ tures bear the red star, denoting they , are sold, than usual. This does not i mean, however, that they have been sold during the exhibition, but morn ■ probably denotes that they were “comII missions” and that the artist reserved •| the right to exhibit before delivery to 1 : | the purchaser. All the same this dealer i told me that buyers of pictures >re ' more plentiful this spring than they , i; were last and he expects to see a great ■ ! many of the moderately priced paintings sold before the exhibition closes. He estimates that a picture fetches twenty per cent, more if it has been I hung at Burlington House. Lomion’s Fashion Lead. Tailors, hosiers and bootmakers in London are preparing for one of the busiest seasons they have had for many years. Every summer the influx of foreign customers grows larger. The fame of Savile Row tailors has spread from East to West of the United States. While the Englishwoman goes to Paris to buy her clothes, the Frenchman comes to London to get* his. Wealthy ■ Dutchmen, Italians, Spaniards—they all ’ come to London to buy their shirts and ties. And the shops that supply them are not great emporiums, displaying ■ colour schemes of the latest things ? n ■ ■ men’s wear. They arc tho small, unob- ' j strusive shops in the side streets off I I Piccadilly where the elite have bought. ! their clothes for centuries. Some of ' the Americans who come here frequent- ; ly order a dozen sui’ a dozen pairs of shoes and boots, three or four overcoats, - and half a dozen hats. Men from the.

Continent come here and order dozens of shirts and socks at a time. One Frenchman, who called at a shop in Piccadilly Arcade some time ago, ordered 40 cravats of blue with white spots — spots of every conceivable size and shape. He liked them so well that he sent them back and ordered 40 bows to match them. The White Chateau. Mr Reginald Berkeley’s war-play “The White Chateau,” originally tried in brief on the wireless and then staged at Hampstead, has now, in the purely topographical sense, “gone West.” It is being presented at the St. Martin’s Theatre, and is a formidable example how living actors and stage artistry can, even in the smallest theatre and on the most modest scale, if inspired with true genius, knock the cinema silly at its own game. Anyone might think that the film, with its infinite potentialities of realistic illusion, would beat the stage at present war scenes. The best war film yet shown is “What Price Glory” so far as actual “over the top” effects go. “The White Chateau” has two scenes that achieve an infinitely more gripping and realistic ensemble. It is, in fact, the real thing, minus only the stench. Mr Aubrey Hammond, who is responsible for the effects, has accomplished by a masterpiece of patient restrained fidelity what everybody else has failed to approach. He puts the Great War the theatre’s footlights.

The Authentic Nightmare. He gives us a real front-line trench, with the ruins of the white chateau showing in No Man’s Land above the parapet, with real officers and “Tommies “carrying on.” A man is sniped, the German machine-guns bark from the chateau cellars, and our shells, after an artillery liason officer has ’phoned through his battery, locate the enfilading fire. It is a perfect illusion of the real thing. Even more terribly realistic is the second war scene, with a shadowy battalion mustering in the same old trench to go over the top at dawn. The whispered gruff orders passed on, the subdued sound of bayonets being fixed, the inevitable Tommy whose [cigarette calls forth a nerve-racked re- , proof, the German verey lights and j machine-gun bursts testifying to iJerry’s suspicions and trapped nerves, ithc pip-squeak bursts right in the trench with its realistic casualties, even the air of mingled squalid discomfort and • thrilling suspense as the last secondare ticked off to zero are all conveyed. The scene ends with the crash of the barrage, and the climbing :‘ f over the top. ’ ’

Q-TOL MASSAGE. ' Q-TOL improves the functioning power of the skin by cleansing the pores of effete matter and The invigorating effects of reach the mnscie tissue—hence the refreshing and invigorating effect of a Q-TOL massage. Ask Randolph Rose! Bruises, burns, chilblains or sprains cannot develop when Q-TOL is well irubbed in.