The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-17
GENERAL VAIL GOES UP
FROM HOTEL KEEPERS
Admiralty Comes in for Severe crtl-
cfsm, as Travellers Claim They
Are overerowded In Steamer.
Splthead Big Attraction.

London, August 16-Since the corona
ton day the exodus from London has
been continuous, and the population Of
the city is now probably at the lowest
water mark for the whole year. The ac-
tivity Of the capital may be said to have
been temporarily transferred to the So
lent where the last flicker OF festivity was
witnessed at the naval review. The royal
guests have nearly all departed, and the
American migration is only limited to
the carrying capacity of the Atlantic
liners. Six steamers which sailed this
week were heavily loaded with depart
ing tourists. A general wall is going up
from the hotels and boarding houses,
which have not profted to the extent ex-
pected by the coming of coronation visit
ors, and which are now all more than
half empty, owing to the belated vaca-
tion rush to the country. At the same
time the railroads report a very slack
seasons haulage. the unreasonable sum-
mer having reduced the weeK-end traffic
to a minimum.
In the meantime King Edward is hold
ing floating court on board the royal
yacht Victoria and Albert at Cowes.
where a number Of distinguished per-
sons daily visit his majesty.
Two Programmes Planned.
Two big receptions have been planned
to take place on board the yacht next
week in honor of the Shah Of Peroia and
Ras Makonnen. the Abyssinian general.
The Tornei- arrivet In London Monday
| lie has been waiting forty-eight hours at
Calais, France. for The most favorable
weather In order to make a dash across
the channel. being an incr dinately bad
sailor. like mes. orientals. In fact, he is
said to be In abject dread of a visit to
the kings yacht anchored in the smooth
water at Cowes, and the officials in
chsrge of the shah's tour are actually
afraid that cat's-paw breeze Tuesday
nay wreck what Is intended to be an
imposing recertion on the royal yacht
The great naval parade off S2ithead is
filing columns of the London papers
with indictments of the admiralty as
we'll as panegyrics Of the magnificent pa
geant. William Laird Cloves. the naval
critic and historian, who Is unqresuon-
sbly an authority on comparative naval
statistics writes that while there are
dozen very efficient battlesnips of Spit
head and few cruisers, the bulk OF the
great fleet is merely an exhibition OF
flags. paint and gliding, and tie majority
might well be built of cardboard, as they
are mere dummies, too feeble to lh3ht
and too slow tc run away
Admiralty Criticised.
The admiralty is also coming in for
scathing criticisms owing to the over
crowding of transports. Returning colo
NAL troops from Capetown on the steam
ers Britannia and Drayton Orange, going
to Australia, were devastated with
measles. pneumonia and pleurisy. The
stories of filthy quarters and inadequate
medicine and food rival anything charged
in connection with the fever ships
which arrived at Camp Wyckoff, Montauk
Point, Long Island, after the war with
Spain. Official statements from the ad-
miralty all deny overcrowdng, but the
fact remains that after indignant protests
from Australia the transport Aurania.
then on the eve of sailing from Cape
town, before proceeding. disembarked $40
officers an men, thus admitting that the
ship was overcrowded to this extent
Even more serious from a national point
of view than the transport, remount and
commissary scandals. is the problem of
caring for the hordes of discharged SOL
diers now clamoring for employment.
There is no question that the various re-
lief organizations accomplished a vast
amount of good throughout the war, but
now the warehouses; of the United King
dom are filled with time-expired men and
in all the big towns masses of volunteers
and reservists are vainly seeking situa-
tions in place of those their employers
promised to hold open. but who did not.
While the cities are glutted with men out
of work. the farmers in all sections of
the country are reported to be lamentins
the dearth of field hands