New-York tribune., 1882-04-10
LONDON MISCELLANY.
THE GREEK DINNER AND THE MINISTER
SMOKE-A LYCEUM AUDIENCE.

dinners IN general ana the Greek dinner OF calH-
day last. Most public dinners are tiresome
This not tiresomc. but interesting The SUBJECT
lent itself TO stirring speeches. and stirring me
speeches were. They were not long. moreover. NO
body spoke more than fifteen minutes, ard five to
ten minutes was the rule. Lord Rosehery. who
was president of the Greek Committee until
his acceptance of place in the Government
Obliged him to resign, chairman at this
dinner. His appearance on such an occa-
sion was perhaps irregular, hut he had
obtained dispeusation as had Mr. Shaw-Lefevrc
The Greek Committee. as | understand now dis
bands itself and held this festival in order TO
celebrate the conclusion of ITS proper work by the
peaceful cession OF Thessaly.
Lord Rosebery. whose discretion is exemplary,
referred with judicial and iudcions caution TO- the
future of Greece and of English sympathy with
Greece The future of Greece, he said lies not in
ambition but in conduct etatesmanlike phrase
He kept on not less safe and firm ground as re-
CARDS politics. offering hint to his hearers that
politics might wei be avoided on such an occasion
But the enthusiasm of others was too strong 1or
prudence. Speaker after speaker broke into ex-
pressions of passionate hopefuness for the new and
larrer Greece of tomorrow and of not less
passionate protest against the opposition which has
made the triumphs Of the recent past less complete
Mr. Gladstone's name evoked storm of cheers,
which told where the sympathies of the audience
were.
Every Greek and every friend Of Greece
knows that the Liberals have been
their friends and that if any help
has come TO them from Lord Salisbury, or from any
Tory follower Of the Tory chief. it has come grudg-
ingy. and not heartily. Lord Rosebery lifted him eli
ont of the heated atmosphere of party but he could
not be blind 10 the fact that Of the forty members
Of Parliamnnt present the great majority II not al
were Liberals But one Conservative OF eIninehce
was present-Lord Shlftesbury. The synpatlnes0 0i
that venerable and admirable noAl man are Olo'u
enough 10 overstep partisan boundaries lis 7leech
was as cordial IN is friendship TO Greece aS any
body's. But his was the one voice heard in the
Conservative wilderness. Nr. Goldwin snl'A
speech delivered at Eve minutes nouce, was one oi
the most striking ever heard on such all occasion;
with cogency and closeness Of though. and finish
of dction perfect if the speech had been writ
ten out and delivered from memory.
The leading members Of TIE Greek community in
London stayed away from this dinner. They are
patriotic, they give largely 10 their country, they
are men Of position and political convictions, they
are sensitive to the honor and reputation IF Greece
and being what they are they declined to take part
in a celebration at which the Greek Minister Of the
moment was present 1t was necessary to invite
him. Public bodies can take no notice Of private
scandals So long as Alr Gennadius remained the
official representative Of Greece the Greek Commit
tee had no choice but to recognize him as such.
They regretted as much as anybody that his pres
ence should have the effect it did. There were
Greeks in the room. but not one, think, who would
pass for a representative Of fhisfeuOwcountrymeni III
London.
Mr. Gennadius. the Greek Minister referred 10, Is
an interesting example Of those public functionares
who support themselves in false position By an
adroit use of the public press. There appeared on
Saturday in The Daily Necs paragraph TO the effect
that Mr.. Gennadius had sought for and obtained
from his Government leave Of absence, and would
proceed 10 Athens so soon as All Envoy and new
Consul-General had been appointed. At the moment
when that interesting piece of information pub
lished Mr. Gennadius had been recalled
and his successor was within twenty
four hours journey Of London. Mr.
Spartoh, added the composer Of this queer COM
muniqae. had been relieved Of his functions by
roval decree, dated the 31st of January last, and
the service of the Greek Consulate had been pro-
visionally ntrusted to the Legation. Now, so much
of London society-nO inconsiderable porton-as
takes an interest il Greek matters knew that Mr..
Spartol had long since declined TO hold any Official
known also, that partly in consequence of a recent
social incident i'll which Mr.. Gennadius had cut a
dismal figure, partly for older reasons the leading
members of the Greek community had made an of
II to secure the removal Of Mr Gennadius. People
who read the paragraph have mentioned Inferred,
naturally enough that the effort bad failed. and
that Mr. Gennadiu. had triumphed over the Greek
Their aStOnishmeut cannot be slight,
or reading TODAY fory-eight hours later that the
new Greek Minister. Sir Peter Braiia Arlneni. ar
rived in London last night and Is the guest Of
Mr.. Spartoh II NAV be inferred that the career Of
lir. Gennadius IN London. which has had curious
episodes, has al last come to an end.
The dinner at the Lord Mayors on Saturday II
celebration Of Smoke Abatement reyives an carly
lest The Smoke Abatement Exhibition is held III
South Kendngton. and the most experienced resi-
dents OF south KensinRton tbat never have the
fogs and especially the snokefOgs been so frequent
Or 50 thick as during this period. correspondent
who clearly does not perceive the distinction be-
tween smoke which is a nuisance and smoke which
IS benehcent, complains OF the tobacco smoking
n the ord Mavor's dinner 1T was most comicaIn
writes he, to hear speaker after speaker denouncc
London smoke and London fogs whilst almost every
)ne present was blowing cloud OF tobacco smoke,
md this in badly ventilated ROOM" The g17lmLle
should have passed unnoticed were it not that the
critic ruis the feathers Of the American
,agle. The most comical thing Of ALL he says |
was 20 see Mr. Lowell the American Minister
who most condemned the London smoke and London |
'og, blow the largest cloud" That man might
laye written King James's counterbast. Tobacco |
smoking is not unknown in New-York OF Paris, but |
bas not been observed to create in either of those
;ities London fog
Mr. Irvings frst-night audiences have always in
,luded "A great number Of people distinguished in |
literature and art, with fewer but select, delegates
rom the world of fashion. Last night the usual |