The age-herald., 1902-02-16
London Gossip

London, Jan. 90, 1902.-Those who de- sire to cultivate friendly relations with you. and that is almost everybody in England, are congratulating themselves that if Germany is sending Prince Henry to you you are sending the daugh ter of the President to the coronation awaits her. There can be no question that if she desires it she will be placed on the same footing as the foreign prin- cesses who may be present. Some of the Illustrated papers have already managed to get hold of her picture and have printed it. The general criticism is fiat tering to her. Of course she will be invi- teo to Windsor and if she visits Berlin, there can be no question that the Kaiser will offer the hospitality of his palace to the fair christener of his Amer lean yacht
 The appointment of Mir. Reid to be the special ambassador gives great satisfac- ton to the editors ard to the hundreds of men in public life, who have met hun. He entertained magnificently when ne was here at the late Queens Jubilee ana l am told he has succeeded in engaging one of the great London tonses this tlne.
 
 A striking scene took place in the House of Commons the other night when Jos eph Chamberlain rose to reply to fierce attack on the goVernn ent by Sir William Harcourt in which the latter maintained that the administration of martial law In the Cape Colony end the suppression of It's constitution, are in violation of all laws Chamberlain had spoken only a few sentences when his colleague, the -t.A A.. Al- ta -nnf with whole lot of law books, extracts frt m which he intended the Colonial Sec retary should read MT. Chamberlain did not desire to get into legal controversy in which he knew he would be beaten. He looked at tie volumes for fully min ute and then contemptuously pushed them away from him, declaring in his most impressive way that he cared noth- ing for lawyers on either side of the House and that, so far as he was con- eerned. lew was no ls W when it stood in his way. more extraordinary declara- tor was never made in Parliament-a minister boldly asserting that he was above the constitution itself, What fol- lowed? Expressions of indignation? Not a lit of it. On the contrary, enthusiastic cheering from the Tory benches.
 
 There is beginning to be a very loud demand in the cheap weekly press-the workingmen's papers-for an investiga- ton of the alleged misrepresentation of tlsS public moneys in connection with the pur- chase of supplies for the army in South Africa. The suspicion Is very strong that the government has ben robbed right and left of millions of pounds. but the ad. ministration is naturally anxious to cover up the nDisdeeds of it's agents It fears the effect upon public opinion. That is why the policy of silence is maintained. and will be maintained while the war lasts. In the meantime, every bit of tattle that Is heard about corruption in your govern ment or in that of France, is sure to find it's way into print. The idea is that It strengthens monarchial institutions by convincing the people of the rottenness of popular ones.
 I saw Richard Croker, the Tammany leader or ex-leader, at the theatre the other evening. He was alone. but looked and acted as if he was very well satisfied with himself A newspaper friend tells me he was directed to interview him for his journal. but Croker emphatically de- clined to say a word on any subject American politics, racing, or even the coronation
 There was a discussion at one of the clubs the other evening with respect to the four greatest men in the world, and l notice a paragraph about it in the last issue of enc of the weeklies The men agreed upon are: Marconi, Rontgen Edi- sor ana Carnegie. Two of the list you will see are Americans. for although MT. Carnegie was born in Scotland, we all set him down to your credit. To all Scots men, however. he still belongs to the land of cakes
 In society circles frequent complaint is heard among those who find it hard work to make both ends meet at the end of the year in regard to the wedding present problem. The young women are going off so rapidly this season, that some families have to draw on their btnk ac- counts almost weekly, in favor of the jew elers and other tradespeople. The pros pective bride expects gifts. expensive ones too, from every one of her friends of both sexes, and some younger sens are for weeks at a time compelled tc shut down on their luxuries in order to pay