Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-27
Preparing for Another Antarctic Elk
ploration.
FEDERATION OF SOUTH AFRICA
Proposed Gall Red" Steamship Service
In Atlantic-New Paper for Paris
English Rowing Regulations.
Special Correspondents Of The Star.

were sent out and very few were not used.
Indeed. from appearances at Dorchester
House on the afternoon Of the Fourth, 1t
seemed as though there were more Ameri-
cans In London than in New York or
Washington. There was a constant stream
Of well-dressed women and men passing UP
the magnificent pillared marble staircase to
shake hands with Mr.. and Mrs. Reid. who
stood at the top. On the marble balustrade
which surrounds this great central hall
bevies OF the American fair looked on upon
the ascending throng. Many of the ladies
were very attractive.
On moved the procession to the strains
Of hidden music. while outside motors.
broughams, hansoms in unending succession
put down the arriving guests. The am
bassadors tall footmen, in dark blue and
silver, lined the entrance hall. Through
the long corridors to the right of the stair
case on the north front was the long re-
freshment tent. rooted in with alternate
white and green. Here were abundant
strawberries and cream. ices. cakes, sand
witches, hook and claret cup. tea and coffee
and tiny tables and chairs at which one
might sit and enjoy those delicacies
Still, despite the thickening arrivals OF
the favored 4.0OO there was no sense Of
overcrowding. But then there was so much
to seq in the state rooms Of the first floor.
Magnificent pictures. notably some Van
dyckS and the marble mantelpiece are
alone worth visit, especially the famous
chef d oeuvre by Stevens. Dorchester House
Is palace and like palace in extent, and
even 1900 guests did not put strain upon
its resources. The affair cost the ambassa-
dor, l learn. more than half his annual
salary 1t Is necessary to be rich to be
American ambassador in London.
Upset Over Compensation Act.
London Is all upset over the new work
mems compensation act which came into
force on Monday last and which found half
England unprepared No act of parliament
in recent years has raised such speculation
as to its effects, and this latest addition
to the statute book will give ample scope
to the ingenuity and refined distinctions
OF the lawyers. Everybody seems to be in
Guided in the benefits Of the act from suf-
fragan bishops to the parish beadle, and
from lady maid downward to the drudges
OF the kitchen. Seamen, too, are in the
scope of the list, though policemen and
soldiers are without.
1t is the household servants, however.
who are expected to provide the best crop
of litigation. To define exactly when in the
case OF an ACCIDENT she is acting 'in the
course of her employment will occasion
many knotty problem for forensic dis
pute. For instance, If she sustained an ac-
cldent In her anxiety to answer the visitors
bell her employer would be liable but sup
posing she was Fastening to her own room
to get dressed for her afternoon out" and
broke her leg on the staircase. would she
be in the course Of her employment" at
the time?
These and other niceties will make 1t nee
essary for judges and lawyers in add ton
to legal ability, to possess a wide range of
knowledge of the ordinary affairs of human
life. No longer will British judges at least
be able to affect an innocence Of mundane
matters.
An interesting fact in connection with the
attitude Of the foreign diplomatic and con-
sular service toward the act Is that am
bassadors and consuls resident in London
consider that all those of their employees
who are In the pay OF their respective gov
ernments should derive no benefit from the
provisions of the new law. and that the
principle Of extraordinarily comes into
play here. On the other hand they will
claim no exemption in the case Of their own
servants, who are salaried by themselves.
but will protect themselves by insurance
like ordinary folk.
AS a consequence Of the act everybody
has flown to insurance. A servant girl, II
injured or crippled IN private house, can
come down upon her employer for a pension
for life or II killed her relatives can claim
as a maximum sum Of G3O0 and a mini
mum Of ESQ must be paid But the insur-
ance companies are issuing policies by
which for less than three shillings one can
insure an indoor servant. Hence the COM
panies are simply up to their eyes in work.
The rush Is tremendous, and offices are
open day and night to satisfy demands.
Already number OF claims have arisen
under the measure and in many cases en-
ployers thus rendered liable have not been
insured.
Plans Antarctic Voyage.
Lieut.. Shackleton, upon whom depends
the honor Of England in antarctic explora-
ton. is setting his house in order. The
tight little Newfoundland sealer in which
his party is to set sail about the end Of
T,,1v 10 IN, Of no cko
going the necessary alterations, and though
1t will not be possible. owing to the dila-
toriness OF red tape officials to rechristen
her the Endurance. she will leave. 1t is to
be hoped, with just as much augury Of
success under the cd name Of Nimrod.
Lieut.. Shackleton, who Is young and Of
sturdy build. was the second in command
Of the Discovery expedition. and is ex-
tremely hopeful OF success In his new ven-
ture. He himself admits the primary i'm
portance of the food supplies, and it is in
teresttng to observe to what a fine art the
manufacturer has reduced his supply of
foodstuff, particularly in the conversion Of
fluids to dry state. In milk, eggs and
vegetables. for instance, Lieut.. Shackleton
and his followers will derive no little bene-
Mt from the modern developments of food
science, and this department of the expedi-
ton will be on view during the next fort
night side by side with many other details
of equipment such as clothing. medical re-
qiurements tents and siedges photoghaphic
apparatus and scientific instruments.
The land party OF the expedition which
Is to sail by the Nimrod by way of New
Zealand and disembark at King Edward
Wis Land, will consist of a dozen men.
and Is provtsioned for two years The
distance from the landing point to the
south pole Is about $50 miles In the
conveyance of stores Lieut.. ShackIeton
Will be assisted by motor. specially con-
structed for the purpose. There will be,
In addition, eighteen eleven foot and
twelve-foot sledges. for the drawing of
which Manchurian ponies to be used.
The rigors of the undiscovered realm of
ice and snow wildly suggested by
one little necessary. The party is taking
a supply of eye lotion in the form of a
plaster. A liquid lotion would become ice
even before 1t left the bottle.
South Africa Enthusiastic.
South Africans in London are enthusi-
astic over the idea of a federation of
South Africa, the scheme for which Lord
Selbourne has just outlined. Sir Pieter
Bass. who was recently knighted by the
king for his services to South African
industry. and who is a member of the
legislative assembly of Cape Colony
spoke to me as follows today: When I
first entered into arrangements with
various South African governments
also gave them scheme by which all
the five colonies should combine their
commercial work here in England and
work in one central Office, instead of hav-