Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-08
COMMENT OVER INDIA
Criticism of the Contem-
plated Military Changes.
THIS YEARS ASCOT CUP
KINGS GARDEN PARTY AT WIND
soR REPORTED A DowDY AFFAIR.
Completion Of All-British Cables Sys-
tenn Inaugurated in 1902 Expected =
as Result Of Conference.
THIS YEARS ASCOT CUP
Special Correspondence Of rhe Star.

opecfdl Correspondence VI Inc
LONDON. June "a. 1905.
learn that Lord Kitchener has already
recommended to the India Office officer
of distinction and great experience. now
serving in India. for the new post Of his
chief of staff. He will not lose his reputa-
ton for downrightness. and the India office
must be a little breathless at being SO
promptly taken at their word.
The most direct criticism which 1 hear on
the military changes in India is that &C
count has hardly been promptly taken of
the fact that very important part of the
commander-in-chiefs duties is to go on pro-
longed tours Of inspection throughout the
country. These occupy a considerable part
of every year. during which he Is absent
from the seat of government. and the vice
roy is therefore deprived Of the military
member OF his cabinet.
In case of a war In which the commander
in-chief took the field the case would be
much worse, for then the government would
have no military adviser at hand. believe
1t will be found when the papers are pup.
lished that Lord Kitchener proposes to meet
this difficulty by appointing a temporary
military member Of the council during the
absence Of the chief, but
such an officer, 1t Is said, can nave no
weight and no Independent authority. An
other objection Is that the whole organiza-
ton of the Indian army as fighting ma
chine Is placed under the unchecked control
of a single man, who may have fancies ana
fads which there is no power to check.
Such a position does not exist elsewhere
in the world. The highest opinion here re-
CARDS as the true remedy minister OF war.
with a general staff. 1t Is impossible now
adays, with the enormous complication and
variety of details in the composition or an
army for one man adequately to control
them and to plan campaign. and until TINS
is put in commission by means OF genera
staff in England and India, as 1t Is in
France, Germany, Japan and elsewhere,
anomalies, Inconvenience and difficulties
must arise
Cup Day at Ascot.
Thursday was Cup day at Ascot ana
all London was present to bask In the sun
with royalty Ascot station is usually q
sleepy little place, but for one week in the
year it awakens from its long Information
and takes on more than Its share-more
than it can really manage-of the world
hustle and Importance. And for one day In
particular the day of the royal hunt cup.
1t Is filed. except for few short hours.
with surging, polygot crowd that alfghts
from the packed railway carriages and
struggles slowly. almost painfully 1t seems,
through It's narrow barriers, and once
through those the mass splits up. One
small, well-dreSsed stream enters the long,
covered way that leads to the paddock. the
lawn and the royal Enclosures.
Other small groups detach themselves and
climb into brakes and wagonettes, urged
by the oft-repeated cry Of ''Sixpence all the
way" But the real crowd, the crowd that
has packed the third-class carriages, makes
for the broad high road that leads to those
ering and expensive turnstile to pass. And
arrived there 1t spreads itself out and en-
joys itself noisily in its own way.
Ascot Is the garden party among race
meetings and II hears much the e.
semblance to the rest as Elton and Har-
row does to first-class cricket matches. 1t
also annually forms the excuse for all
fashionable women to appear In their new
est and loveliest creations MY Ascot
frocks'' are invariably the smartest day
clothes any social butterfly dons during the
whole year. They are often too good to
be worn at garden parties and such like,
so that the owner feels a little embar-
raised because of the gorgeousness of her
plumage, and softly explains that 1T was my
Cup day gown for Ascot" In fact 1t is
magnificent opportunity for women to dress
against one another and. with the present
unsuitable feminine appetite for clothes, the
display surpasses all bounds. With such
living pictures 1t is not surprising that AS
cot is not cheap.
In fact to do it from London costs for
tickets and railway transit about five
pounds head each day. Or course the
comfortable way Is to be invited to stay
in house In the neighborhood for the
week, and the local owners make their
years rent out of the fabulous sum they
extort from wealthy tenants who lease their
habitations for ten days. For men, tall
hats, frock coats, dark trousers gray
gloves, patent-leather boots and a button
hole flower are practically obligatory. So
the effect is that of great many grown up
Elton boys wandering about in an unrivaled
parterre of human flowers. To those who
have not been there II may be added that
the situation of the course Is a fit set
ting for such living Jewels. and II the sun
shines the effect of the procession coming
up from Windsor is matchleSS
Kings Garden Party.
The kings garden party at Windsor was
really rather dowdy affair. Six thousand
people. more less, had been invited. and
1t Is said any one who had been to court
during his majestys reign and had written
his or her name in the book at Buckingham
Palace received a card. Certainly the re-
suit was not edlfyfng. double line was
kept through the serried masses of guests
for the royal party to pass through the
king coming first, with the somewhat aus
tere Crown Princess of Sweden on his arm.
They all directed their steps to little pa
vilion, round which Gordon of red rome
was held by subordinate officials and into
this sanctuary a few were summoned by
special command. The rest Of the assem-
blage gaped and then sought refreshments
There were three superbly garnished tents
below the terrace which were absolutely
empty, because there was no one to indi-
cate to the hungry mob that they could
there comfortably find food.
AS 1t was everybody scrambled in two
other marques, which became dangerously
congested with struggling humanity. Skirts
were literally torn from the backs of their
wearers; men saw themselves josted and
battered In the fierce fight for tea or hook
cup. 1t was neither seemly nor attractive.
and had the fact of the other tents only
been announced a very great deal of I'M
pleasantness could have been avoided
wag on the edge of the throng shouted that
the king was approaching. Within a minute
that particular marquee was empty. Wom-
en- dropped the handsome tea cups ON the
ground, threw away what they were eating
gathered their skirts and literally scuttled
at top speed to mob their host. This was
not edifying. but 1t allowed the wit who
had given the false alarm to calmly enter
with his companion and partake of a most
comfortable meal.
1t is probable that the result of the cable
conference which began its sittings on
Thursday will be the completion of the sys-
TEN of all-British cables inaugurated in De-
cember, 1902, by the opening of the line
from Vancouver to Australia and New Zea-
land. The object is to have a system of
cable linking together the different parts of
the empire throughout the world without
touching any foreign territory. To COM
plete this girdle line is now wanted to
connect the united kingdom with yancou-