Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-27
human race, which until now has been
poisoned by barbaric desires of conquest"
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poisoned by barbaric desires Of conquest"
An Amusing Condition.
The humor. as well as the incentive of
the congress, is being supplied by Russia
Russian newspapers are forbidden to re-
port the discussions at The Hague! This
is delicious. But Mr.. Stead, the great Eng
fish friend Of the tsar, has been getting
back at the censor in fine style. He is now
in Russia, having secured the emperor's
permission to call public meeting and say
just what he liked. Mr.. Stead did so. and
made strong attack on the censorship.
The censors. he complained, had mutilated,
defaced and sometimes confiscated War
Against War" although it was published
solely to support the tsars rescript and
with the approval of the emperor. He said
he had defended In England all Russian
Things except this and being now in ST.
Petersburg, he denounced the action of the
censorship as imbecile, idiotic and mis-
chtevous-for Russia. for the emperor and
for peace. Mr.. Stead further said that he
had defended the tsardom, but did not adj
mire the system which hindered the Rus
sian people from giving effective popular
support to the noble aspirations of their
own emperor. No peace society has yet
been authorized to exist in Russa-no one
could hold meeting in support of the
tsars message except by leave of some
miserable policeman. The journals dared
praised it highly, Mr., Stead, who spoke for
two hours, was loudly cheered. and the
fact that 1T was permitted gives one in
sight into Russian character. 1t is highly
amusing to think of Stead pummeling the
poor censors for carrying out orders which
the tsars lghtest word could have remit
ted.
London is Crowded.
London is very full just now. All the big
hotels are crowded, 1 am told, and there
are almost as many people in town as at
the time of the diamond jubilee. Americans
oh
make London their headquarters on their
continental tours, deserving Paris for the
city where their own language is spoken.
thousands are here a present and thou
sands more whom the war kept home last
year are booked to come. The west end
thoroughfares are a sight to be remember
ed on bright day. The shop windows are
decked with all the latest spring fashions,
and are surrounded with an everlasting
moving crowd of ladies'. Rotten Row. too
presents a pretty sight in the morning. be-
ing more frequented this year than last.
Perhaps the fact that cycling is not
fashionable this season has something to do
with it, but whatever the cause there Is
always a big gathering of eQueSt ranS in
this favored portion of the park London
is, in fact, very pleasant place to be in
at the present moment
Added Gaiety.
The presence of the queen in London adds
to the gaiety, and. judging from the ar
engagements, this week promises to be about
the most important of the season. The
social boom is reflected at St Stephens,
where the attendance of members on the
green benches is meager in the extrema
Many members have already taken them
selves off for the holidays, whilst others
find the press of social engagements play
ing havoc with their political duties
There is, however, a good deal of life
about the house of commons despite the
exceeding dullness in the proceedings of
the chamber itself. St. Stephens of late
years has become a very fayOrite show
place with society, and tea on the ter
race has become an institution. The de-
lightful promenade by the riverside which
runs along the whole length of the houses
of parliament, is already beginning to wear
its summer apparel of tea tables and chairs
and wears an appearance on a fine after
noon more in keeping with a picnic than
the work of legislative assembly When,
as this afternoon, the dull weather makes
tea in the open air impossible the gay
crowd overhows into the Hobbies and CORR
doris of the house.
The Queens Farewell.
The semi-state function at South Ken
sington today, when the queen laid the
foundation stone of the new buildings of
the Victoria and Albert Museum. will be
the last public function of the kind in which
she will engage, save the visit she has
promised to Bristol in NoFember next. Her
majesty is in fact bidding farewell to pub
lie life during her present visit to London
HenCafOrth her only appearance in state
viii be to hold one drawing room, at which
the diplomatic circle will be received each
season. The farewell character of her pres
ent public appearance in London, therefore,
lent pathetic Appropriateness to her visit
to kensington Palace on Monday, whittier
she drove Immediately on arriving. 1t was
at KensingtOn the queen was born. lived
her girhOOd, and when the news of her
accession was brought by Archbishop How
ley and the Marquis of Conyn CHAM, the
lord chamberlain, appeared to them in
loose white night gown and shawl. her
night cap thrown off and her hair falling
on her shoulders. her feet in her slippers,
tears in her eyes, but perfectly collected"
The queen commenced the round of her
last series of public functions by inspecting
with her son and successor the room in
which she was born, and in which her
mother died, and the state rooms of the
palace The rooms are to be thrown open
for the public the queens birthday, and
she was anxious to see that they, as far
as possible, reproduced their character as
far she remembered them
Sarcey's Death.
France has lost her greatest dramatic
critic Of the time. Francisque Sarcey will
not easily be replaced. He will be missed
on this side of the channel, as well on
his own, for his brilliant pen had won him
many English admirers. He entered upon
the particular branch of journalism. with
which he has been facile princeps for so
many years, just forty years ago, when he
took charge of the dramatic part of LOpin-
ion Rationale, then just started. The strk-
ing ability displayed at once attracted at
tenunn. Eight years afterward he became
dramatic critic to the Temps post which
ne held to the last, but he also helped his
friend NJ. Edmond About with the XIXe
Steele. Besides his regular work, M Sar-
cey INDUCED in good deal of other literary
performance, and more than once found
himself involved in legal proceedings, some
times having to pay heavily for his sarcas
tic thrusts. But he was not easily daunt-
ed. He took d prominent part in the lit
erary conferences of Paris. NJ Sarcey who
was little over seventy, has succumbed to
congestion of the lungs
IrvinE's Health.
The renewed indispostion of Sir Henry
Irving Is now reported to be an attack of
influenza, and though we are told he is al
ready much better there is some reason to