Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-10
CHAMBERLAIN ALERT
Great Protectionist Leader
Back in Londen Fre m Tour.
TALES OF MAKAROFF
sKRYDLoFF CAME NEAR EJECT
MENT FROM FRENCH CHAMBER.
Gilbert, the Composer, Talks Enter
tainingly of Early "Reminiscences
England in April.
TALES OF M AK AROFF


Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
LONDON, April 80, 1904
The great protectionist leader Is back,
and many of his admirers went to the sta
ton to receive him with cheers. Mr.. Cham
berlain looked as alert as ever, his bronzed
skin tightly drawn over his face and acute
ly pointing his features. At his side. barely
keeping pace with him. was Mrs. Chamber
lain. She gave smiles and assurances to
questions that were discharged at her by
unknown people. Her husband. too, smiled,
but without noticing anybody or seeking
anybody's eye. When the little procession
was level with the waiting brougham Mr..
Chamberlain was almost struggled into his
carriage, and drove off amid cheers and
hurrahs.
One who was a passenger by the same train
and boat as Mr. Chamberlain tells me that
he was a great source of interest and of
incidental income to the railway porters at
the frontier town of Bale. large party
of English tourists were on their way home
from Italy. and as they rushed pell nell
into the first-class waiting room they paid
little attention to white felt hat that was
scarcely visible over pile of baggage.
But the Britisher proclaims himself wher-
ever he goes. and the porters were soon
aware that the gentleman in the white hat
who sat intrenched behind a zareba of bag
gage was Mr. Chamberlain.
The word weht quickly round, and one by
one porters made their appearance. bring
ing a Britisher in 'for consideration re-
ceived' Their eyes sparkled as with much
gesticulation they pointed, at discreet
distance, to the white hat and muttered
In loud stage whispers: lie VOLTA. VOLTA
Monsieur Chamberlain
At first the French pronunciation yelled
the truth to the British tourists, but 1t was
not long before the party grasped the STU
alton and FASTENED to relieve the monotony
of the ex-colonial secretary's two hours
wait for the Paris train by staring at him.
Something prompted the porters to be
continually pulling down and carting away
the luggage. until as midnight approached
Mr.. and Mrs. Chamberlain sat unprotected
by any bulwark Of baggage. 1t was dim
gaslight, and kodaks were useless, or 1t
would have been a triumph to catch Mr..
Chamberlain in white hat, without either
monocle or orchid, but with double gold
trimmed eyeglasses, deep In the study OF
statistics.
But they were not fiscal figures. but only
the equally perplexing mazes of CONT
mental Bradshaw, to which he turned as
distraction from the glances OF his COM
patriots and few Frenchmen. who gazed
with open mouths at one of whom they had
heard so much Relief from embarrassing
observation came when, toward midnight,
the Paris train was made up, and then Mr..
Chamberlain passed through lane OF
tTdNel-WeaTleQ tOuTlStS WHO pro-
served an embarrassing silence.
"reminiscences Of Makaroff.
A parliamentary friend who saw a good
deal of Admiral Makaroff when he was In
England, and who maintained correspond
ence with him almost up to the time he left
Russia for the far east, has brought to my
notice a circumstance which might ftiy
engage the attention of the Psychical Re-
search Society
"Makaroff" said my friend "had known
Admiral Sir George Tryon for many years.
having met him in the Mediterranean, and
the two developed a great liking for each
other. On the evening Of the day. eleven
years ago. upon which the Victoria went
down Makarcf saw specter-like form of
Sir George Tryon, which convinced him
that something had happened. although.
while being intensely religious. Makaroff
could not, like most Russians could, be
described as superstitious.
On that same evening Lady Tryon was
entertaining party at her house in Eaton
square. and she herself has admitted. in
ignorance of Makaroff's experience. that
she saw the spirit form of her husband
enter the drawing room that night She
was so much impressed and distressed that
she dismissed her guests early, and on the
next day learned'of the loss of the Victoria
and the death of her husband.
Admiral Makaroff, In telling the story of
his own experience when he was In Eng
land during the building of the ice-breaker
Ermack. was told of Lady Tryon's similar
experience, which very greatly impressed
him. He sat silent for little WHILE and
then asked. half aloud and half in reverie:
IL wonder If / got suddenly blown UP or
got sunk should present myself in spirit to
my wife as friend Tryon did,"
Skrydlof and Torpedoes.
Admiral Skrydloff. who is to command
what is left of the Russian fleet at Port
Arthur. may be expected. at all events, to
understand the offensive use of torpedoes.
He himself torpedoed hostile ironclad-ln
broad daylight. too-during the Russo
Turkish war. He commanded the Russian
squadron at Kiel when the canal was OPEN
ed In 1895. and won the sympathies Of his
French colleagues by his genial manner
and his intimate knowledge of the French
language. Paris knows him we'll; and he
once nearly got himself turned out of the
chamber of deputies.
1t was on the occasion OF debate on the
invention of Turpin: and Gen. Mercier who
was then war minister, was speaking. "As
a gunner" he was saying. IT can assure
you that there is nothing in the invention
nothing whatever" Hear. hear" Hear,
hear Tor. rather. Tires bien'.. Tres
bien'0. came a voice from the part of the
house to which strangers are admitted.
The ushers FASTENED to the spot and laid
their hands upon the collar of the offender,
who apologized. promised not to offend
again. gave his name as Capt. SkrydIoff.
and explained that 1t was purely profess
slonal sympathy to which his applause had
been intended to give expression.
Gilbert's Sustained Imagery.
Mr.. w. s. Gilbert. who Is getting to be
an old man. has just delivered himself OF
a humorous speech at the Gallery First
Nighters' Club one Of the many theatrical
clubs in London organized by the people
before the footHghts.
Mr.. Gilbert has little of the htsnnorfst In
appearance. Even his smiles are austere,
and his appearance with bushy white eye
brows and piercing eyes. gives a suggestion.
heightened by the briskness of his speech,
OF a retired Indian officer. His wit Is
bar bed-and several shafts were let loose In
his brilliant summary of the present state
OF the drama-but his spoken humor Is AS
genial as that of his written page
For sustained imagery it would have been
hard to beat his description of the drama
as played on the banks of the Styx, with itsi
''actor-managers doomed for ever to see
their names in small type, it's leading ladies
laDguishing in an abode which did not
know the illustrated papers, and doomed to
wear clothes several seasons old, and its
patrons doomed for ever to applaud plays
that eternally bored them