Evening star., 1903-09-12

Take a few Instances. The motor scorch.
ours tperhaps a GOOD T thing. a too1: Ath the
French railway engines go quicker than
ours; an italian has taught US wireless
teiegraphy. and a Brazilian aerial naviga-
marine boats Whatever ehey may bs
wcrth); Australia IN educating our crtck-
eters, and our colonists are teaching us
how to ride. The Beers have already
shown us how to shoot. and our Jockeys
have been left In the rear, end our pugil-
lists have been put to sleep by Ameri-
cans.
am glad to say. however. that 1 can
md no authentic record Of our defeat at
either foot ball or ping-pong.
No Infant Candidates.
hear that the committees Of some of the
leading West End clubs have resolved to
follow the example set by the Junior Carl
ton in 1894. and to put an end to the prac-
tee of permitting the nomination of candi-
dates while still in the nursery. 1t is a
great tribute to the popularity of any club
that men should be so anxious to preclude
the possibility of delay in the election Of
thelr oHspring on arriving at the age OF
discretion. The crowding of the cand!-
dates book, however, with the names OF
children who can afford to wait fifteen or
twenty years before obtaining membership
prevents many desirable persons of mature
age from Joining In the competition for
entrance; and II this procedure continues
II must mean the eventual ruin of the rep
dtfon of any "cercle'' affected by men Of
high standing The proposal adopted by
the Junior Carlton nine years ago WIS that
no candidate should be nominated until he
had reached the age of eighteen. This
proved an effectuaI remedy. and the
anomaly Of distinguished persons having to
wait a decade for their turn In the ballot
soon disappeared.
At the Athenaelm Cluh the pecaSSity for
a provision of this kind was recognized
years ago, despite the fact that the COM
mittee is empowered to elect annually
not more than nine persons "of distinguish
ed eminence In science. literature, or the
arts. or for public services" and that ex-
traordinary memberS-fn which category.
come princes of the blood royal cabinet
ministers, archibishops, bishops. speakers
of the house of commons, judges and for
eign ambassadors OF ministers plenipo:en-
tiary of not less than ten years standing
at the Court of ST James may be admitted
from time to time at the discretion of the
committee. The rule at the Athenaeum
concerning the age limitation runs fol-
lows: No member shall propose a can
didate under the age of eighteen years,
and no candidate shall be qualified for
election until after attaining the age of
twenty-one. There has long been a feel
ing that similar prohibition might be
adop.ed with advantage at the Carlton,
but that institution is extremely tenacious
of old customs. and If a canvass were
taken of the existing members the propo-
sition probably would be strenuously op-
posed.
Mr.. John Burns alluring vision of Lon
don twenty-five years hence gives an in
teresting glimpse of the workings of busy
brain The metropolis is long way from
being a model city. In parts 1t is mag
nificent, and there are architectural group
fngs and noble prospects that are excelied
nowhere in Europe. Cut out this core, and
what a wilderness of squalor and mean
is left A QlartaY a hepca
Mr. Burns sees London clean and beautiful
throughout, and the miracle is to be ac-
complished by electricity. At the dawn
of this new there will be / 500 miles
of electric tramways radiating from the
heart of London far into the surround
ing country on every side. Population Will
naturally flow outwards to the sunshine
and the fields. and the overcrowding prob
lem will be solved.
The East End as the home of squalor
and misery is to disappear. to be supplanted
by a well-ordered center OF industry and
manufacture. Electric cabs and road cars
will take the place of the 'growler" and
the bus. there will be a magnificent service
of river steamboats,, the 100 parks and
open spaces of today will have become 80,
and in short it will be we'll to pe alive in
London in the coming twenties. Mr.. Burns
dream is perhaps just little overcolored.
but there can be no doubt that things
are moving rapidly along the lines he has
sketched, and for that we have chiefly to
be thankful to the progressive party in
the county council.
Life in the Drama.
The dramatic world stirs into life again
with the beginning of next week. For
quite month past something like one-half
of the West End theaters have been closed.
but there will be many premieres during
the next two three weeks. The first
the welcome temperance of Mr.. Willard
at st. James Theater on Monday. Mr.
Willard has been absent too long from the
London stage. He is immensely popular
here. his performance of THE Professors
Love Story" being remembered with spe-
cial pleasure. After some ten years spent
in the United States he comes back with a
fuller repertory. and started his season with
THE Cardinal" In THE Cardinal Mr..
Willard plays stern type of ecclesiastic.
prince of the Roman Church In the six
teenth century, one of the great house or
the Medici. The cardinal has received the
confession of a F'lOrentine outlaw, who. in
fit of passion, has killed a wealthy mer
chant of Rome. The cardinals brother is
charged with the crime and condemned, and
the cardinals lips are bound by the seal OF
the confession The anguish and the in
1eXibility of the prelate in these circunl-
stances form the dominant motive of the
play.
Fftch's new play, The Climbers" will be
produced at the Comedy. Mr.. Tree reopens
His Majesty's on September 10 with pro-
duction of Richard H." and the new
Drury Lane drama. Flood Tide" Is due
a week later. None of these is anticipated
more keenly than Mr.. j. M Barries next
play, which comes on at Wyndhams Thea
ter about the middle of next month
There is now no dramatiSt more popular
with Londoners than the author of "A Win
dow in Thrums." His two most recent
pieces. Quality Street and THE Admir-
able Critchton," have been running with
success for about a year.
ba LAT will he Withdrawn at the
end of this week for the redecoration of
the Duke of Yorks. where 1t Is being per-
formed Mr.. Barrie's forthcoming play IS
still without a name. Little Mary and
'HThe Stormy PetreI' have both been sug-
gested but neither has yet been finally
chosen. L. H MOORE.
Tho Mon In the Chair