The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-02

who sits In parliament for the division
Of north Shropshire and has some re-
nown himself as an agriculturist, took
exception to the appointment of Sr
! Sidney on the novel ground that his
recreations as set forth in that remark
able compendium, ''Whos Who2' are
loahng and dillettantism.
This proves to have been misquota-
ton, SIR sidney's recreations actually
being given as the normal forms of
loafing and dillettantism," but that is O
small point The speaker Of the house
promptly sat on Stanier hard and that
closed the incident which, however. has
led at least one person to follow the
Shropshire M P's example and look up
the recreations of other British celebri-
ties as set forth in the new Who's Who
-Ior 1913" which is only slightly smaller
than a family Bible, and certainly is
one of the most interesting books In the
world.
The results are rather entertaining.
Perhaps to Americans the most interest
ing man on this side of the water IL
that erratic genius, George Bernard
Shaw, and Shaw's recreations are quite
characteristic. AS exercises he sets
down driving an automobile, swimming
and public speaking" while under the
head of "recreations' he puts anything
except sport" He means Of course.
sport as ii is understood in this coun-
try-that is wearing a fox's heart out
with horses and dogs, s1aughtering half
tame pheasants or killing a few hundred
grouse with the aid of shotguns and
expert 'beaters."
Not all the celebrities enumerated in
who's Who?" give their recreations,
by the way, though a lot of them oblig
ingly furnish the numbers of their mo-
tor cars. II. q. Wells doesn't, for exam
pie, though we had It on his own au-
thority recently that floor games is
one of them and playing with toy SOL
diers another. @. K. Chesterton Is an
other recreationless notablity, likewise
5ohn Galsworthy and John Masefield
Perhaps tho quaintest of all the rec
reations" given in Who's Who?" are
claimed by the Rev. e. J. Hardy, who
perpetrated How to be Happy, Though
Married They are as follows: Riding
on horse, camel. ass. bicycle top of motor
bus; talking to simple, hard working
people, looking at flowers and picking
fruit in garden; taking sun bath.
thinking of the queer things of life
Swimming And Mr.. Hardy, who. 1t
seems, has written besides How to be
Happy exactly 10 books. gives as his
club: My Wife's Tea Table" Another
and still more famous Hardy-the author
OF Tess, and Far From the Madding
Crowd" tells us that his recreations
are Archaeology, entomology and collect
ing book plates.' while those OF Hardie,
the parliamentarian, and the leader of la
bor-J. Keir, who recently was with you
In the United States-are stated to be
reading and gardening and collecting
ballad and chap book literature Of Scot
land"
Indeed could hardly name another
actor more conscientious or more more
taking in all that he endeavors to ac-
complish. Socially, he is a first rate
fellow and most pleasant and CHEEKY
companion. What plays he will take
with him I do not know; he has, how
ever done some of his best work in old
English comedy and l daresay several
of these will figure in his repertoire. II
was he, you may remember, who orr
ginally introduced "Bunty Pulls the
Strings" to the London public, and
tidy bit of money he made of out Graham
Moffat's play.
In order to obtain little breathing
space before producing something new.
Charles F'rohman has accepted Freder-
icll Harrison's proposal to transfer "The
Younger Generation" from the Haymar-
ket to the Duke of York's. This is TO
be done a fortnight hence, thus leaving
Harrison free to produce THE Pretend
ers," Ibsen's historical play. "The
Younger Generation" coupled with J. NJ
Barrie's "Rosalnd' has been playing to
something like 5000 weekly and as hl,s
leaves a fair, if not very large margin
of profit, Harrison naturally wishes 70
give the piece a further chance. AZ
Irene vanbrugh takes "Rosalind" to the
coliseum Barrie's earliest one-act play.
1.-The Twelve Pound Look will be sub
stituted for 1t at the Duke of YorlS's.
F'rohman will also have to provide nov
city at the Glove before very long, sea-
ing that Officer 666' has now reached
level distinctly below the paying point
Possibly the question will be settled by
Marc Klaw. who has preponderating in
terest In 'Oficer 666'' when he arrives In
London a few days hence.
Yesterday l found George Edwardes
at Daly's looking the picture of health
His trip to Biarritz has done him an
enormous deal of good. ''If ever you
want holiday" he said, that's the
place to go TO. Bracins air, good golf
and pleasant company are among the
many attractions" George himself is a
keen golfer and at Biarritz was out on
the links pretty we'll every day. He
is now settling down to the considers
tion of his next Gaiety piece. He
brought lately a new musical German
l lay and this week George Grossmith has
at his request slipped over to Hamburg
to see it performed and to report what
he thinks of ii. Early in March Ed
wardes is off to Vienna to witness the
production of Franz Lehar's latest ef-
fort. He knows nothing at all about ir