Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-22
GOSSIP FROM LONDON
Changes in Topography of the
Metropolis.
GERMANY AND THE NAVY
Ill-Health of Lord Curzon Is Quite
Serious.
KING AND ISLE OF WIGHT
Prevalence of Paint and Rouge at
Recent Courts Has Called for
Official Rebuke.
KING AND ISLE OF WIGHT
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
LONDON. March 10. 1908.
| 81" Henry Campbell-Bannerman is never
likely to be very active again. for his ILL
ness has pulled him down great deal,
and it must be remembered that he is
over seventy years of age. The house
misses him very much. for it was partly
by his quiet humor that the legislative
wheels were made to go smoothly. How
ever, there is not likely to be any change
in the premiership before next month. ow-
ing to the fact that the ministry is too
much occupied with important and con-
tentious measures<to make reshufflng
of portfolios desirable. Mr.. Asquith is
becoming SO habituated to acting as
though actual premier that business is
proceeding as before. though he sadly
lacks the useful gift of bumor.
| Beth the king and the kaiser are warm
admirers of the ability and character Of
| Sir Henry Campbell-Ba nnerman. The
kaiser frequently sends for report of his
progress and the king personally called
! to see him before leaving for Biarrtz
this week. and remained half an hour.
This was peculiarly sincere tribute. for
the king has a dread of influenza. and
cannot ordinarily bear any one around
him who has any symptoms of it.
| There Is another Chinese question be-
fore parliament that is botherng the gov
eminent considerably 1t appears that
not less than 40 per cent of the crews Of
| British steamers are Chinese or Lascars.
While 20 per cent more belong to other
| foreign nations. Two years ago a con-
sentative ministry put in force certain
regulations as to language test, but the
Chinese have evaded that by claiming
British citizenship. as hailing from Hong
kong and Singapore, and the number of
Chinese employed has actually increased
since the regulations were passed. The
| board of trade. following parliamentary
pressure this week. has promised to
| take steps to alter this. but the matter is
possibility of Great Britain providing
sufficient seamen from her own territory
Mr.. Havelock Wilson. the sailors cham
pion. says there are ample men to be had
| but shipowners deny this. 1t is asserted
| that the Chinese are taken aboard on
| sweating terms and are so badly fed
| that many commit suicide. Last week a
| steamer foundered on the west coast be-
cause the lookout man. Greek, was
unable to call ''broken water in English
to the officers of the ship when he first
| saw signs of rocks ahead.
In domestic life also the Chinaman is
| getting footing even in conservative
| England There have been Chinese laun-
now a Chinese firm trading under the
| name of Lee Is extending it's operations
| through the suburbs and will soon open
A branch in the West End, So we may
shortly find the yellow men as prominent
in this trade in England as in America or
Australia.
Changes in Landmarks.
London is being transformed in all
parts but especially within the two miles
of which Charing Cross may be taken as
the center. There is to be a new theater
| in the Haymarket. great American
| store in Oxford street, the county council
hall on the south bank of the Thames.
and the new royal professional road from
Buckingham Palace. This transform ton
| of the mall from a royal cul-de-sac into a.
noble thoroughfare availa BILE for through
traffic between the east and west of Lon
| don has made striking progress during
| the last few months. though his majestys
| office of works does not anticipate that
| this notable Improvement will be com
| pleted at the earliest before the autumn
| of 1909. Two years have already been
spent on the task. which would have been
| simple enough matter If the authorities
| had merely decided to extend the hand
some professional road from Buckingham
| Palace into trafalgar square, without pro-
Eid1ns an elaborate new entrance to ST
| James Park. Fortunately however. for
| the architectural dignity OF the capital.
the leading feature of the scheme is an
| extension of the admiralty buildings
across the new mall. with the necessary
| accommodation for wheeled and foot traf
| nc under group of fine arches
In appearance this new block of govern
ment buildings will look like a triumphal
| arch, yet 1t will serve very useful pur-
pose In addition to providing London with
| a new adornment. II will contain the Of
| fc1al residences of the first lord of the
admiralty and the first sea lord. together
| with of1ces for which no accommodation
can be found in the existing admiralty.
| Strength of the Fleet.
| The new battleship Lord Nelson is now
almost ready to undergo her trials. and II
Is officially announced that they are to be
| carried out next month. Upon their con
| ciusion the ship will be at once put into
| commission and sent to join the More di-
vision OF the home fleet. Before the end
| OF the year the authorities hope tn have
| iour Dreadnoughts I'm commission All
| lhese VIII be attached to Admiral Bridge
.,lan meet. which will then be the most
powerful armada afoat. The older shine
/ or this squadron. the Bulwark. Majestic
| VICTORIOUS and Ma Snificent are all IN ha
WITHDRAWN and replaced by Dreadnonybts
as .ne latter can be got ready for sea.
though of the Dreadnoueht cIass tho
LORD Nelson is slightly smaller Her
| principal armament consists of the i'm
proved Finch guns, and she is driven
by turbine engines. She has been h,,iIt
az Jarrow. and has taken almost two
years TO construct and prepare for sea.
| mere Is great outcry because of
herman interest in the British navy The
Kaiser 1t appears. wrote d private let
| Ter 10 Lord Tweedmout.l on naval mat
ters. and the Times getting wind of 1t
denounced 1T In unmeasured terms as in
terference from Germany. Lord Tweed
mouth has declared 1t was a purely pri-
Vate and unimportant communication,
put there Is sure to be a good deal Of
| russ made In the hope of stirring anti
German feeling in the country Then
| there is the extraordinary appearance
in Berlin weekly paper Of photograph
of the British battleship St Vincent,
now being built at Portsmouth. Seeing
that British photogra piers are all eX-
pressly forbidden from taking photo
graphs of ships under construction or
being repaired, the question naturally
arises as to the manner in which this
photo was obtained 1t Is understood
that the board Of admiralty has been in
communication with the admiral super
intendent at Portsmouth, and the matter
| is to be brought forward in parliament
! shortly.
German Spies Active.
At the time that the Dreadnought was
being built and when ALL details regard
ing the vessel were refused in this coun-
try. 1t was possible to read the most mi
| mite particulars reSneCfinp her d,.,xx.>