The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-07
GOSSIP
OF LONDON
Bright Resume of the
Week.
THE HOSPITAL SCANDALS
British Society at Various Smart
Functions inducing One of Mrs.
John Mackay's.
ASSOCIATED Press Specials,

here, is, for the moment, relegated TO
second place Public interest in the hos
pital scandals in South Africa absorbs
attention that no amount of official qub-
bling can suppress. The treatment of
thousands of wounded and fever-stricken
British soldiers in the field threatens to
become as serious q matter for public
agitation as the military camps were aft
err the Spanish-American war. If Lord
Roberts was not so frankly willing to
shoulder the major part of the RESPONSE
bility the outcry which Mr.. Burdette-
Coutts letters raised would well nigh I
have swamped the Government. But few
people dare to seriously criticse the sue
cessful General whose consideration for
his men. especially the wounded, is by
word in the army and elsewhere.
The action of Lord Lansdovgne, the Sec
rotary of State for War, in submitting
the criticism of Lord Roberts himself,
was a MASTER stroke of politics which
temporarily saved the Governments head.
However. if the proposed Parliamentary
committee finds the War Office failed TO
adopt necessary mIdical precautions, it
viii take the Conservatives long time
to re-establish their prestige with thou
sands in Great Britain who have suffered
bitterly through the loss and illness of
relatives in South Africa. 1t has been
hard enough for those bereaved to grin
and bear the long casualty lists, but.
with the suspicion that lives were need
lessly wasted, there is no longer any re-
straint to their sorrow or limit to their
Indignation.
A significant sign of the times is the
announcement in the July issue of the
Nineteenth Century that some of the
most distinguished men, regardless of
party. have agreed to join association
with the object of fixing steadily public
attention on the lessons of the war, fore
most among winch is the necessity for
examining the derenses of the empire
and the need of conducting the various
departments of State ordinary busi-
ness principles Among those who have
promised to become members are Lord
Rosebery, the Earl of Leyen and Mel
vile, the Earl of Rose, the Earl of Clan
william, Viscount Peel, the Bishop of
London (the Right Rev. Manden Creigh-
ton, DID, Cardinal Vaughan, Sir Wem-
yss Reid, Sir Howard Vincent and a large
number of members of the House of
Commons and army officers.
Viscount Deerhurst, Colonel of a volun-
teer battalion of the Worcester Regi-
ment, who married an American, Miss
Virginia Bonynge daughter of Mr.. Chas.
w. Bonynge, formerly of San Francisco),
in testifying before a Parliamentary COM
mittee this week, brought home with
startling force the rottenness of the ma
terial supplied to the army. He declar-
= ed that after paying an extra price for
shoes for the battalion. after one march
they were like paper bags, with shreds
of leather inside" and you could easily
mt thrnrIgh no ma inritV al
the soes."
An amusing story Is current regarding
r Harry Beaumont. one of the best-dressec
London club men, who married Miss Jes
sic Fellowes. of New York, and went tC
South Africa an officer of the Che
shire Yeomanry 1t is said that he requ
sitioned a Boer house for mis- own house
|, but before occupying it, he ''showered tn,
building with insect powder anC
, "drenched 1t with eau de cologne
How tired the people of England ar
becoming of such kd-gloved methods o
warfare could be judged the other night
when Sir Evelyn Wood, the Adjutan
General to the forces, who is notoriousl.
influenced by feminine advice, receive,
a hostile reception at the hands of sucl
broad-minded body as the institution
of Mechanical Engineers.
Somewhat on these lines Sir Claude NJ
Macdonald, the British Minister to Chi
ma, is coming In for criticism. 1t is fire
quently sad that he is better hand a
J afternoon teas than in preserving the EN-
pire's interests in China. A local pape
at Tien-Tsin once said it was eviden
Sir Claude's motto was: II do not car
what her flag is so long as she is fair.
1t is not generally known that last Ser
I TENDER Sir Claude Macdonald was sui
fcring so much from heart disease an
other complications that he could scarce
ly walk hundred yards.
\ Real social gaiety relgned this wee
for the first time this season. Hereto
Z fore the festivities have been few an
far between and of a rather forced oil
q der. But, during the last few days, wins
. with the arrival of the A.nedive of Egyp
bazaars, entertainments, the State COZ
cert and countless dinners, London hs
taken on its old-time aspect for this tin
of the year. The Americans here hay
taken n conspicuous share in the festi'
tiles. Mrs. Mackay's house, which Ia
SO long been closed on account of mour
ing In the family, was re-opened Thur
day with a concert
- Mrs. Mackay received her guests at Il
u top of the historic staircase. which on
was in an Italian palace. She was dres
ed simply in black, her ornaments col
sisting of few black pearls. With h
was her daughter. the Princess Colonn
and her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Claren
Mackay, who was much admired, In viii
ard silver with 'mauve orchids and a di
mend tiara with turquoise points. Mo
!. of the notable persons in English a
American society were present, includii
Mr.. and Mrs. Bradley Martin, Mr.. T.
gene Kelly, Ladies Craven and Hesket
the Dowager Lady Stratford. Mrs. Pad,
ford ard Mrs. Mooretou Frewen.
Mr.. william Waldorf Aston, who al
lives I'm Carlton House Terrace, gave
! musicale the same night. at which his n
merous guests heard Mime. Calve a
Paderewski.
The most lavish entertainment of (
week, however. was Mrs. Bischoffheln
dinner party for the Prince of Wall
= Wednesday. The papers announce til
II cost over $4,000. Ii began with a al
ner which was not over until II o'clo
and ended with a supper. While royal
Toasted, Japanese troupe which cal
here from New York on its way to
Paris Exposition but which seems In
hurry to go there. performed TIN
plays In a large tent erected in the gs
den. The Prince, the Duke of York a
Prince Christian, with their hostess a