The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-11
SOCIETY IN LONDON
By LADY MARY mANwARING

London May 10.-(Special)-T black shadow of the Titanic disaster hangs over London society like a pail and has al- ready had the effect of spelling the first few weeks of the season. Much of the sinister effect is due to the sudden and alarming decrease in the steamship pas- senger traffic from New York. Wealthy Americans generally still under the de- pressing, saddening influence of this tragedy of the sea, have lost all heart for ocean travel and indeed have natural ly acquired a hatred of the sea and all that is of it.
 The effect of this mourning sentiment in the United States upon fashion and so- oiety here, already disastrous, is likely to be worse as the summer approaches. For Amerlcans-especlaly these of the multl-milllonaire class who water society with gold, are the very life and blood and soul of the summer season at the West End. And the cash from their pletheric pocketbooks will be sadly missed by many impoverished English nobility, who in the character of social promoters, have been accustomed to derive a good part of their yearly income from the newly riehs class with leanngs towards royal recognitions at court. Behind the mililonares is the great body of well to do moderately wealthy Americans from New York, New England, the west and middle western states, who having no social ambitions, spend money on their European holiday with almost prodigal extravagance And these. tabooing the Atlantic with superstitious horror, will be sorely missed by the London shop keeper to whom they are as so much profitable prey.
 Tn your city of New York, no less than in London the story of the pitiful plight of the handsome and dashing sportsman, Count Festoties known in the fashionable circles of every European capital, has been received with much feminine con- cern For Count Festoties has been the principal figure in proceedings at the Bow street police court looking to his extradi- ton to Belgium on a common vulgar charge of fraud in respect of diamond necklace. Worse than all it has been re- vealed that the Count Festotics has been tried in Belgium, convicted in his absence and sentenced to term of imprisonment, and this while he was gracing the Lon don drawing rooms and making effective play for the hand of more than one Amer ican heiress.
 Among the wealthy society people here there has recently arisen a system of housekeeping. The clubs it Is hoped will bave 6 good effect in doing away with dishonest tradesmen and servants.
 The new custom originated by a young and immensely rich American who re- gently married an attache of King Georges court, is simply to obtain from the salaried housekeeper a statement of the total amount per year required by her to manage the household and pay all ex- penses. Then check for the amount named is handed to her and on this she ;s supposed to run the house for the next twelve months. In all cases she is a thoroughly accomplished domestic financier, with a long experience of tradesmen and servants and as she is permitted to take her , per cent out of the amount to be sure that she keeps her expenses down to the last cent. The new system. which apart from its commer- cial side, has the virtue of relieving the master or mistress from the traits and