New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-21
LONDON SOCIETY.
Il Long Season = The Suffrage
Tract.


The Colonial PremIers are the serviceable
friends of the London tradesmen. They have
added a month TO the regular season, and that
IS what the most powerful social patron the
King himself, has been unable to do Year BY
year the season has had a later opening and an
earlier close and the interval for brilliant en-
tertaining at the great houses has been short
ened. House agents and tradesmen have been
IN doleful dumps for a long period, complaining
that the Saturnalia of Fashon-JenlIins has
taught them the elegant phrase-cnds before II
has fairly begun and that IL is broken up at the
height Of revelry by weekend parties and motor
drives How grateful they must be this year
TO the Colonial Prerniers. After the small and
early" season which followed the opening OF
Parliament there is large and late sea-
son at least a month ahead of time. The Lib
eraI hostcSscs have rallied In strong force Tor
tho entertainment OF the visitors: the Unlonists
ara planning counter attractions TO remind the
Premiers that they the true Imperalsts'
unhampcrcd by seVviIc bondage 10 Free TRACE;
tho wives OF former Viccroys and Governors are
arranging luncheops. dinners. musical evenings
and parties FOR them and the social calendar is
as full for April as it ordinarily IS for May
Smart people are returning prematurely from
the Riviera and Biarritz 10 attend social func-
lions while the King and Queen arc stiH away
Jenkins is surprised TO find how much there Is
10 write about so soon after Faster. Without
dropping into politics he IS persuaded that I'm
perlalism IS a social interest and that It may be
a good thing 10 convert the Colonial conference
into an annual fixture.
The round Of social entertaining for the Pre-
miers opens in Bclerave Square with a dinner
and reception al Countess Beauchamps new
house She was Lady Lettuce Grosvenor before
her marriage. and used to help her mother en-
terrain AIr. George Wyndhams Unionist friends.
but now she IS one of the most prominent Lib
eral hostesses The Lord Mayor and the Prince
Of Wales viii receive the Colonial guests at the
Guild Hall and Marlborough House. and Mr..
Balfour viii greet them chairman at an I'M
rnensc banquet IN Albert Hall After the Pill
rrins' dinner at Claridses the Prime Minister
entertalns them ~ tho historic residence in
Downing street. and there is long series of
public functions. including a. luncheon at West
minister Hall and dinners AT the National Lib
IA, C.llb. the London Chamber ot Commerce.
the ROYAL Colonial Institute and the British En-
miro League Meanwhile. some of the finest
houses IN England will he opened 10 them: stat
ford House with the most graceful among the
duchesscs TO welcome them at the bottom Of the
stately marble stairway. Lansdowne House the
oldtlme Wing stronghold. with its magnificent
ballroom and splendid statuary and paintings;
Wimbornc House. with its sumptuous rooms and
furnishings: Lady Derby's house in st. Jamess
Square il she cannot persuade them 10 pay
visit to KnowsIey. Crewe House. of the
social centres OF Liberalism. and possibly NIeut
more with Lord Roseberys daughters as host
esses; Lord Leconfelds. Lady Haversham's. in
Grosvenor Square and Lady Brassey's in Park
Lane. the Countess of Jerseys home. In Oster-
ley Park and Lord Strathconas beautiful home
at Knebworth, with Lord Lyttou's favorite
hooks. and many other famous places Whether
the heads of self governing communities In
worldwide empire may not be turned by all
these social distractions is an open question, but
whether they have leisure for thinking imperial
~ or for resenting the idea that their common
wealths can be governed by pro-consuls. they
have the satisfaction of knowing that tho West
End tradesmen are their humble and most obe-
dent servants.
Miss Elizabeth Robinss tract for the times
is problem play with political motto and Il
realistic, well-drilled stage crowd, The text
is Votes for Women" and tho sermonette is
designed TO help the suffrage cause: and the
problem is added for the sake OF making the
preaching less conventional and ethical. II is
the stale old problem at which playwrights are
always working-the triangle with two women
and man. The Bon. Godfrey Stonor. who has
fought his way to the front in politics until he
cannot be kept out of the next Cabinet is called
upon TO choose between the nelfeSS from the
north, whom he loves and the discarded mis-
tress for whom he has ceased to care. The
heiress tries to bring him to sense of duty
by proposing reparaton in the form Of mar
| rlage with the neglected woman. The sacri-
! flee is declined with the understanding that he
! will become an advocate Of woman suffrage and
| will refuse to enter the next Cabinet unless
! votes for the woman be officially guar
anteed by the Prime Minister. The Woman
with the Past has been studying vice and misery
as social questions in the metropolis and has
! been convinced that the political regeneration
Of the kingdom can be wrought only through
the emancipation OF the sex. She converts the
middle-aged statesman rather easily to the
suffrage when she leaves him at liberty
TO marry the woman he loves With tongue in
his cheek he agrees to make reparation to All
women for the wrongs which the suffragette
leader had suffered through his treachery and
! neglect.
Neither as problem play nor as suffrage tract
J is Votes for Women" either convincing or edify-