The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-20
KING GEORGE TAXES UNPOPULAR STEPS Much Criticism of His Re-
 cent Action QUEEN STILL STRICT Many Are Finding Fault With Her Disposition to Pry Into Private
 Affairs of Her Court.
 Ladies
By PHILLIP EVERETT

lparliamentary battle between the opposf- ton and the government at white heat, and with echoes of uneasiness over the Morocco still reverberating through the Hand, King George has seen fit to add an- other mite to the unpopularity whish greeted his advent on the English throne.
 and which press and politicians have be en
 making heroic efforts to dispel
 His latest breach of diplomacy hits di- lrectly at the masses and hits at them in
 a place where their pride is most tender. It criticises indirectly and through the younger generations, the British home land the much-vaunted discipline that is supposed to maintain therein. His rnajes- lty has seen fit to deplore the manners of the British school boy.
 His criticism was made public by proxy and was entirely inadvertent. It happened at recent celebration where the Bishop of Worcester was officiating. The Bishop lin the course of his speech of felicitation recounted a conversation with the King, during which the relative merits of Brit fish and foreign schools was the subject of discussion. The King, said the bishop,
 remarked upon the politeness of the for eign and American school boy and the lboorishness of the English product, say ling:
 My good bishop, why do you not set about reforming public school manners?
 Foreigners, both European and Ameri-
 can, know when to bow. to shake hands, to converse, to stand up or sit down in the presence of their superiors; while the Englishman and English youth does not. lThe average English boy is better ac- lquainted with the stable than the draw ling room.''
 It is probable that the bishop did not reckon the effect of this speech. But the effect was immediate and startling. The lpress had scarcely made the bishops re- lputed conversation with the King public Iwhen from all sides and all conditions of lsociety there arose storm of protest lthat had Its expression in thousands or jletters. And so heated was the feeling depressed that members of the King S household are said to have implored him to deny or explain the words put in his mouth by the bishop.
 King George, however, has taken TO
 
 public 10 think what it likes anfI fan or lextinsuish the flame of wrath that leaped forth throughout the la-d.
 The li-feeing that existed among a cer- tain portion of the ladies of the English lcourt since Queen Mary started her sen lsational house cleaning, but which con- lyeniently disappeared for the coronation season, has again cropped out. Queen Mary, unlike her predecessor. Queen Alex andra, is great stickler for the formali- ties of court lifo and even follows this
 bent Into the private lives of her court ladies. In fact she has been accused of a curiosity regarding the affairs of Eng lands fair peeresses, that falls nothing short of prying.
 With this state of affairs prevailing lmany of the ladies who had enjoyed the flavor of the late King Edwards regime found themselves the object of royal in- Inuendo and imperial hints upon the man agement of their homes that 10 them seemed impertinent.
 Prominent among these was Lady Ar thur Paget, 8 famous, though eccentric beauty of the late Kings court. Lady Paget, however, Is not one to stand the lroyal regulation without attempting to retaliate and her retaliation has caused her sister peeresses to gasp. She Invited her man mlliner to attend garden rarty at which were present some of the best people of England, people who were high in the good graces of the present Queen This action on the part of Lady Paget created more than mild sensation in so- ciety circles, more especially since the perretrator of the affair has stouty cham 1 pioned her cause and shows no likelihood of retreating from her position. 1 Though both court and society are rest | ing after the arduous series of entertain ments attendant upon the coronation, the investiture and the yachting week at Cowes, and though a great part of Lon don's elite have sought the cool resorts among the mountain fastnesses of Switz- erland, there still remains sufficient quota of the gilded youth of England's '4O0'' to admire a pretty woman. Indeed. Pfccadilly is showing an interest that ot only has surprised the staid English press, but has made the fame of Mile. Alexan- dra Balashova a by-word throughout the land.
 Mile. Balashova Is the premier dansedse of the Imperial dancing school at Mos COW and her entrance into England was heralded by an offer of a G100O to the firm of bootmakers who could fit her marvel ous instep from stock.
 Sc wide was the notoriety that this pub liclty venture gained that the Alhambra's box office receipts took a sudden jump and a fair sprinllng of nobles was on- served. This gathering of the peers of the realm, especially the younger ones. came to be a regular thing and at last one prominent club mustered enough en- thusiastic admirers to purchase a tier of boxes for the remainder of Mile. Bala- shova's engagement.
 Accompanied by her youngest son. a frisky youngster of 66, Mrs. Rebec,c Clarke, who at the age of 10S. claims the distinction of being Englands oldest woman, attended this week garden party given in her honor
 Mrs. Clarke looks half her age, can rt ad without glasses, is blessed with vigor, health and perfect hearing Tn fact, Tn such remarkable state of preservation Is she that some of the most eminent medical men of the empire have become interested and are busiy engaged n cx- amining and comparing notes upon this interesting old parsonage.
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 Too Free From the Washington Star Police Commissioners Waldo of Now xr nf hat