New-York tribune., 1907-05-27
LONDON SOCIETY.
Politics IN Season-American Moneu
Censorship.
London. Nav TX

I III most backward state at the " f1itStiTltiia
holidays. and ministers not at fault How
can business be done when they are called unon
TO attend luncheons dinners and parties week
| after week for the entertainment of the colonial
| Premiers and officials? No sooner is the i'm
perial conference well in hand before Princs
Fushimi is the Kings guest and there is an
other series OF functions with luncheon at ths
GuldhalI. dinners at the Foreign Office and in
/ Downing Street and evening parties every night
/ in the week. When the holidays are over the
| King and Queen of Denmark will be entertained
| at the height of the season. and after them will
! come the King and Queen of Norway: and with
! levees. courts. state balls. gala nights at the
opera, unrivalled Ascot and unwOnted gay
| ETY. at Windsor, there will be little leisure for
politics. The Liberal hostesses. moreover have
/ increased in number and rivaIng one an
other In resources entertainers; and minis
/ ters cannot refuse invitations and devote them
selves to urgent business in the Commons. The
Prime Minister Is already disabled by social dis
/ fractions and after dinner oratory. and shrinks
| from the exhausting strain Of an autumn ses-
| sion. Yet without that session there will be
| meagre record OF legislative accomplishment
for the year Is it strange that there is a grow
ing feeling among earnest Radicals. who wan,
reform measures by the score. that Parliamenr
must assemble every year early in the autumn
and be kept as far as possible out OF the social
entanglements of the London season?
Events like the Imperial Conference. the mis-
sion Of Prince Fushimi. the return Of Lord
Cromer and the visits of the Kings and Queens
of Denmark and Norway give fillip tbs
brimming cup OF London gayety. Entertaining
has begun prematurely this year: the great
houses have been reOpened month earlier than
usual; there have been special functions for
colonial and royal guests. and there has been
cd mir of br1Sf and tIn Ia
element in Piccadilly and Pail Mall. These
episodes impart movement and distinction 20 ths
season an6 contribute to make stOried London
a brilliant capital Yet more helpful than
those unusual features is the social and fnan-
cial support received from America Every year
a larger number of houses is taken by wealthy
Americans, and entertaining is conducted by
them on a more lavish scale. This season prom
ises to be conspicuously American. The opera
receives influential support from Americans. ana
their social activities are ceaseless and far
reaching americans in Society is now J.
standing headline in the weekly chronicles OF
Vanity Fair. and the daily press Is filed with
fashionable intelligence about their arrivals.
their country house visits. their motor drives
and their town entertainments. When the horse
show comes on there will be almost as many
American miIIionaires In London "a waterfowl
In the lake OF ST. Jamess Park. and at Ascot
best dressed and most animated women in the
enclosure At the same time the hotels aud
theatres will be swarming with American tOu=-
lists and tribute from them will be received IN
every cathedral town and halting place from
Inverness to Cornwall The times would be
hard indeed in England IL the Americans were to
stay home
American support is now almost indispensable
for a brilliant season in London. The truth can
-
surplus wealth in the metropolis. Every year
fewer people come up from the country and
more houses are left unoccupied. AS the ex-
penditures for entertaining have increased, the
circle OF smart people have narrowed and only
the wealthiest have been able TO keep up with
the times Old families which remained in
London from April until grouse time now stay
away altogether. or are content with flying visits
To hotels or lodgings. Direct income taxation.
high rates and death and succession duties are
operating to reduce the number of English pleas
ure seekers In Mayfair and Belgravia: and those
who cannot live luxUTiously with retinUe OF
servants and entertain in prinCely way are too
proud 20 he accounted shabby genteel or only
half smart Without heavy reinforcements from
America London society would be dull and
spritless at the height OF the season These
relays are received and the pace is auickened
centres for sumptuous entertainment. where The
style is set for all who can afford 10 follow II.
As the versatile Mr.. Murphy remarked at the
Pilgrims dinner: 1T is not considered good
form to talk about money in society. but it is
customary TO think about it," Outside the ex-
elusive circle there is less reticence. Every
house agent and tradesman knows in his heart
that without reserves OF American gold ths
London season would be a sorry failure and
SAYS so.
The action of the Lord Chamberlain in pro-
hibiting the revival Of THE Mikado' hss been
ridiculed by the English press. as a fantastic
bit of official fussness. Lord Althorp is
sponsible for the censorship of plays. and has
intervened I'm this instance because the Gloss
alliance between Great Britain and Japan made
1t necessary To prevent any appearance of Of
fence. He is not likely to have taken this stand
against Il popular comic Opera without tho
Kings knowledge and approval When this adj
mission is made the case is closed for the King
in all matters Of International courtesy and good
manners is an arbiter from whose decisions
there is appeal Without doubt the censor
ship of plays has efficiency value in rela-
ton 10 the stage. literature or morals. and is
abolition would not involve the removal OF a
safeguard against the production of inartstic or
contaminated work. If it be justified at all
IL is as court preCaution against breaches 9r
International amenities and imperial interests
Plays based on the career Of Mahomet have
Seen interdicted with absolute propriety With
millions of Mahometans ruled under the British
Crown. and with the Sultan at ConstantinOple
friendly sovereign. it was clearly inexpedient 70
have this subject treated by playwrightS fof