Evening star., 1899-03-11
Ambassador and Mrs. Choate Receive
Much Attention in London.
MARQUIS OF SALISBURY QUITE ILL
Queens Absence From Drawing
Room Criticised by Society.
FOREIGN NEWS AND GOSSIP
Copyright, 1899. by the Associated Press,

Copyright, 1899. by the Associated Press)
LONDON, March 11.-Mr. and Mrs.
Choate have been inundated with invita-
tions to social events which are about TO
take place. All the ambassadors have left
their cards.
The Marquis of Salisbury caught a bad
cold while returning from Windsor on the
occasion of the formal presentation OF the
United States ambassador Mr.. Joseph ii.
Choate to the queen. and he has been con-
fined to his house ever since. The premier
is unable to preside at the cabinet meetings
or to hold the usual reception Of the mem
bers of the diplomatic corps Thus Mr..
Choate has not yet called formally at the
foreign office.
The absence of the queen ana the Prince
of Wales respectively, from the opening
drawing room and ievee Of the season has
given rise 10 much criticism anl "A great
deal of grumblng among society people.
AS one of the papers says: This Is enc
of the duties belonging to the throne and
the heir and the public who pay The l'per
expect royal music
Another paper says:
Outside of the charmed circle of the
Narlhoroughs and Manchesters there is a
very smart American set IN London low,
Ladies' Abinger and oxford, Mrs. Onby
Sorrester whose daughters were use be t.esz
of the Riviera season last year; Mfs. biaNe,
Mrs. Alfred Paris, who is holding me thost
peasant weekly receptions IN Chesham
street and Mesdames Balcheler ard Free
man Schulge OF Philadelphia.
Lady sackvfIIc to Visit the GOulds.
London will lose one Of its most popular
beauties during the trip of Lady Mary
Ssckville to visit Mr. ard Mrs. George j.
Gould next month
The newspapers here still pay consider
able attention to the progress toward re-
covery made by Rudyard Kipling. The
Times. on Friday Printed prominently
set of verses after the style or '1ne bar
rack Room Ballads" and supposed to be
from Tommy Atkins to Kiplins on His
Illness" The last verse ran;
I'VE card that you were fightin' ard, just
as We know you would;
But we 'ardly 'oped you'd turn his fahk-
they said you ardiy could
But the news has come this morning, an
I'm writing ere to say
There's no British son more 'appy than
your old friend. Thomas A"
Memorial to King Alfred.
The lord mayor Of London, Sir John Voce
Moore, presided at a meeting held at the
Mansion House this week 10 further thu
proposed national commemoration in 1901
of the one thousandth anniversary Of ths
death of King Alfred. The queen has given
the movement her patronage. and the
me mortal will take the form of bronze
statue of King Alfred. to be erected in his
royal city of Winchester. The United States
ambassador wrote ragretting that his visit
TO the queen at Windsor the day of the
meeting prevented his attendance.
The secretary, who is a former mayor OF
Winchester, announced that committee
had been formed in America to co-opera.s
with the movement here, and that its
members lDpm1a Col Holm HaU no
retary of State; Bishop Potter and the pres.
idants Of Yale and Johns Hopkins Univer.
sities.
King Alfred being the founder of Great
Britains maritime supremacy, a naval dis
play will be held and the largest armored
cruiser In the world, to be launched ia 1901,
viii be christened King Alfred.
Wolvesey Castle, the ancient residence of
the English kings near Winchester will be
secured as a memorial museum The sum
OF t3o,Wo SlJo,00W is asked for to carry out
the whole scheme.
Aueut the Yacht Shamrock
w. Fife, jr., the yacht designer. has been
In London frequently during the last few
weeks studying the lines of the Shamrock
as she grows into shape He has not mod
if1ed his plans in the slightest detail, so he
is evidently as pleased with her appear
ance as an actual boat as he was with the
designs. The workmen have now succeed
ed in surmounting the worst difficulties In
working the manganese plates several of
which were ruined during the first at
temps to do so. But the work is now pro-
ceeding smoothly, though slowly 1t is ex-
pected, however, that the yacht could be
ready If desired by the end of May The
name Golden Rod, which it IS said will be
given TO the Americas cup defender, is
rather startling to Englishmen, most of
whom never heard of the American flower
The Yachting World says:
No fault can be found with the name;
but all the same, II is unpleasantly sugges-
tive Of a beating for Sir Thomas Lipton'
The owner of the Shamrock returns from
the Riviera on March 16, when the date of
the launch of the cup challenger will be
fixed.
The Daily Telegraph announces that 81
will shortly start a Sunday edition. 1t will
be only an experiment, and except for the