Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-05
ECHO OF OLD SCANDAL
Death of Wilson of Tranby
Croft Recalls Baccarat.
SUIT SEQUEL TO CHARGES
Incident in the Life Of the Prince
of Wales.
JAPANESE ARTICLE DISCUSSED
Unprecedented Amount Of Distress
in London-Lady Jeune's
"reminiscences.
JAPANESE ARTICLE DISCUSSED
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

| LON Dun, OCtOUeT %, loVo.
Mr.. Wilson Of Tranby Croft. the great
shipping magnate, whose death Is an
nounced, had been little seen in London
for some time past. though at one time
he was here a great deal. He will prob
ably be remembered by the social his
torian or the diarst of our day as one
of the few men who having begun life as
a business man was able to attain gen.
timely and to keep the position of a
country gentleman. To the superficial eye
that will not perhaps appear as rare an
achievement as it really is. The point
is that he did not merely acquire an es-
tate and play at being country gentle
man.
or course, the darist will have more
obvious things to say about Mr.. Wilson,
| because his name was concerned in the
one thing which the nation has never
| quite forgiven the king. There will be
many who will remember how the Times,
| in writing of what was called the 'bac-
! carat scandal" said the case almost led
/ to the wish that the Prince of Wales
might never be induced to play cards
| again. Not SO many know how Arch
bishop Benson was moved to write to the
prince after the trial and received a re-
| ply which, IL Ii did not exactly meet the
| archbishops points. was at any rate very
charming and candid.
Tranby Croft is a country mansion OF
no great importance, but it will not soon
lose the startling associations that sud
denly attached themselves to it In lsO,
when the baccarat scandal brought the
king, then Prince of Wales, into the wit
ness box at the law courts.
Brought Action for SANDER.
Sir william Gordon Cummings, a guards
officer or ancient Highland family, brought
an action for SANDER against several
members of the Wilson family. Sir
Charles Russell and MIR. Asquith ap-
peared for the defense. Sir William Cor
DON Cumming had been accused OF a
trick known as LAC pOussette. by which
a PLAYER increases his stake after he sees
his cards have won.
The scene at Tranby Croft on the night
OF the incident came out In all It's de-
tails. The Prince Of Wales was banker
at the time. The guardsman. who had
been watched. was accused of cheating,
and ultimately signed a document drawn
up by Lord Coventry and Gen. Owen
Williams, in which he virtually admitted
his guilt.
In court he declared his innocence and
explained that he had signed the docu-
ment because he was hopeless Of con-
vfncing those around him, and that he
desired for his own sake and that Of
others to avoid scandal
The Prince of Wales. who was sworn
in the ordinary way, said, under cross
examination by Sir Charles Russell. that
he considered that he had acted most
leniently i'm the matter. As the prince
was leaving the box a jurynan startled
the court by putting two questions to the
prince-Had he ever seen Sir William
Gordon-Cumming cheating. and did he
believe him guilty? The princes reply
was that. being banker, he was not in
position to see foul play, and that
among friends that would not have been
expected and that Sir Williams accusers
were SO numerous that he could not but
believe them.
The trial lasted seven days and Sir
William Gordon-Cumming lost his case.
The following year he married Miss Flor
ence Garner. daughter of the late Com
modOre Garner OF the New York Yacht
Club, and retired to his estate at Altyre,
Scotland, where he possesses 10000 acres.
Japanese Article Provokes Comment
An article which is likely to be much
discussed and to create some degree Of
nervous apprehension in certain quarters
appears in the Navy League Annual,
which will be published today. 1t is
signed by a Japanese, Sartori Kato, who
is clearly no novice in his subject. "The
Mastery of the Pacific is the title given
to the article.
One seems to detect the occasion of Il
In a delicately satirical allusiOn to the re-
cent world-girding voyage Of the Amer
lean fleet. I'm the feat Of conducting
a modern armada around the world the
United States says the japanese writer,
has shown US remarkable luxury"
The object of the article, apparently.
| is to show that Japan has now mastered
the islanders can build warships with ma
| terial, including steel. produced at home;
that everything costs the Japanese gov
| eminent next to nothing: that the per-
sonnet OF the Japanese navy Is composed
OF local patriots and heroes, who scarce
ly require salaries or wages. and that in
| the eventuality Of war Japan could, as
il by magic, throng the Pacific with ar
madas, manned by heroes who have made
Nelson their model and drawn the tenn
per of Trafalgar from the west to the far
east
Whether allowed or disalIowed,'' OBJ
serves Sartori Kato. 'Japan's insistent
aspiration is to be mistress Of the fa-
cific All is peace for the present. But
| nobody knows how soon the world may
be plunged into war. The alliance with
| Britain may be annulled some day. Even
then Japan will conquer, for she Is pre-
| pared with men, 80 to speak, slightly
| stronger than armOr plates"
London's Tramway Traffic.
Ohicial figures just published show that
| London now owns 127 miles of street car
lines. over which last year were run 3d.
100000 car miles. and 1925, 81 passen-
gers were carried. The cost Of running
the cars was 1874 cents per car mile, ex-
elusive Of capital charges and renewals,
and the average fare per passenger
| worked out at 81 cents. OF the 127 miles
of lines fO4 are electrified. while q miles
| are worked by horse power.
After taking into account the capital
| charges and renewals there was a surplus
on the years working Of $9302J. Justifi-
cation for proceeding rapidly with the
| electrification of the lines was proved by
the fact that whereas electric traction
| showed gross surplus of $3,37g, S25. the
cars run by horsepower showed a de-
| ficiency Of over $1JO.OO0 The London
county council has now put SAL. AT sos in
tramway enterprise up to date.
The problems OF street traffic have
| grown SO great I'm London that 1t has
been found necessary to construct sub
| ways at various busy centers for foot
| passengers so that others besides the able
bodied and strong may cross the streets.
The latest Of these Is at Blackfriars
bridge where four streets meet and where
| the street cars are busy. 1t is quite a
complicated subway, and heavy piece
N work carried mt with really rema rk-