The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-28
WILL NOT CHANCE HER TRADE POLICY England Will March Alone Abandoned by Her Colonies
  NATAL DOOMED BY THE WAR covent Garden Will Have Gala Per formanee at the Opera In Honor of Ita!y's Kins-The News
 of London.
DOOMED BY THE WAR
sY HENRY pEvEREAUx.

great among nations. Joseph ShaHpel- lain now realizes that Old England VIII continue to march along the road of prog ress single and alone. if her children, the colonies abandon her. She lost her eldest and most promising in TIC; still she did not fall. She may lose Australia, Canada, New Zealand and even the dearly taken land of the Boers. They might as well free themselves from the maternal care of England now as later. They, like most children, cost much during their in fancy and childhood and grumble when they attain an age and condition which makes them liable to be called upon. The United States Is no longer a colony of England; yet all England's colonies are not as valuable to England as these same United States. See what she buys of England and what she sells.
 When England anglicizes country, It's neople are imitators of English customs Tastes. inclinations, habits and customs follow the language as well as the plooo. A customer is made for England. It is not children England needs, it Is customer The tie between nations in thls age ID trade. MT, Chamberlain's ideas or inpe- rialism are not up to date'
 nOlOn1Sl
 sa,d certainly found extremely inter esting I gathered from him that the war hoe been the making of Natal, rom business point of view. The prosperity ot oll ciasses is unbounded Men who three or four years ago could barely go on .leii feet for want of shoes are no" uii.ins about In their own carriages; the smallest shonleepers are enlarging their premises and blossoming forth In plate giass VII. VII dows: the banks are overho"lns "''n money; the working men are ura~ ~ine huge wages; and even the naniis e,'. a,,a, in the general prosperity. CoHllhs oVei to Fpoland after three or four years III pietermaritzburg my visitor was horri- fled at the poverty stricken appearance of many parts of London, ana ne re- marked among other things, that ne sa" noor people going about eVeryWhere III clothes in which no Kaffir would appear nublicly in Natal. He also Degseo hie eo use my influence against the eApoi ., ia- ton of British labor to the colony Aneio is nlenty of labor there already, he says and the arrival of British lmmisr anus oan only have the effect of bringing dowh wages In fact Natal, like Australia, wishes. if possible, to keep all It's good things to itself 1t is pleasant to near all this. especially for us at home who nave brought about this universal prosperity bv the expenditure of our millions Tn South Africa during the last three years.
 sad, brief career has fallen to the lot of ''Tho Gordian Knot at his maJestys s. though I have seen it stated that the American rights have been purchased, so there is still hope of resuscitating 1t. In another land it may bask in favor le- nied to it here Meanwhile, to fill the bill MT. Tree has revived that old faVorite, ''Trilby," with several members of the original cast these including Miss Doro- thea Baird and MT. Lionel Brough. l am no admirer of the play, but do not doubt the popularity of the revival or ehat 1t will fill the house for week until the Poet Laureate's "Flodden Fteld' IS ready. This. by the way, is to be pre- ceded or followed by dramatic version of MT. Rudyard Kiplings 'The Man Who Was" The dramatisaton is the work of MT. Kinsey Peile, and in the man who finds his way back to his old regiment after twenty years of living death in Russian prison MT Tree should have fine part. All who remember the story know how finely dramatic is the scene in the officers mess and 1t Is a lttle curious that no one should have put 1t on the stage before. Next Monday is the day fixed for the two productions, and
 
 to be given in aid of the funds of Guys hospital.
 There will be a gala. or state, perform ance at the opera about the second week of July, in honor of the king of Italy. So, at any rate, 1t is unofflcially understood at Covent Garden, although the actual .command" has not yet been given. Also any ''programme" which may be put ior- ward by enterprising paragraphists must at nresent be a mere effort of the imagi- nation. The French president IS expeeteu in I,ondon towards the end of July, It IS believed before the opera season closes; but according to present arrangements his reception will take another form, in- cluding. perhaps, state concert at Buck ineham Palace. Indeed, President Louoet must be thoroughly wearied of gala repre- sentations, of which he has so many at the Paris opera.
 An absurd idea appears to be prevalent that because artificial flowers will hence- forth be used at gala representaions, these things are kept in stock at covent Garden. Anyone who knows anything at all of the matter must perceive how ridic- iilous such a notion is The whole or the decorations prepared last year for the atate "CoronationY performance were re- turned and cannot be utilized again. Be- sides. the cost and trouble do not not lie so much in the flowers themselves, as In their artistic arrangement. It Is true that | artificial flowers will henceforward be employed. for the simple reason that the real huds. as used at the galas on the prirce of Wales wedding and on the yisit of the German emperor, were objected to hv the singers, while the faint odor was also very trying to the audience. But there viii he plenty of real flowers. both mingled with the artificial and also in the boquets which. at the gala to the king of Italy, will be placed in every box. The true snectacle Is not in the floral decorations, pretty they may be. but in the uniforms. the diamonds and the ladies' dresses. upon the description. and even the very color, of which the lady correspond ents of the daily papers are apt so anus ngly to contradict each other.
 
 The court on Thursday night was Of the | same pattern as the other courts. beauti- | fully stage managed and almost. entirely | composed of the upper middle-class The | king has apparently arranged that 1t should be so "Once in three years .is I majesty expects the great ladies to put in an appearance, and it is rumored that ae wishes the wealthy middle class to be to spend It's money freely In court functions. equipages, and all the m ,araphernalia of social rank. But If the folk discover that by going, .o coi,rt they meet only their equals. and hat their superiors stay carefully away. heir chief inducement for going will dis appear. But rumor is given to fictions and | he cause of the social drop in the courts |