New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-03
CLASSES IN ETIQUETTE
London University Shows For
eigners English Ways.
MANY MYSTERIES OF DRESS
Sartorial Incomprehensibilities
Made Plain-250 Take
the New Course.
rFrom Tho Tribune Correspondent.

London. July 26.-The peculiarities OF
English etiquette and the suff formality
of English manners and customs are so
! pulling 10 foreigners accustomed TO be-
| having like rational human beings. in
! stead of like lot OF automatons, putting
on morning coats and top hats by clock
work and saying Sorry" at regular In
tervals. that the University OF London
has established course In English ell
quette for the benefit OF foreigners.
| There are now go members OF the class,
representing seventeen nationalities.
! The thing that foreigners find most
! difficult TO understand is the rule Of Eng
I ish dress. There are few men from be-
= yond the sea who can comprehend why a
top hat and morning coat are indispensa-
BILE ut Lords for the oxford Cambridge
cricket match and at Goodwood for the
! races, but tabooed at Henley. which is
I quite as fashionable an occasion. Nor
can they understand the rule that re-
! quires a man to wear a pair OF yellow
| leather puttees with his patent leather
shoes and lounge suit on Saturdays even
! II he is going no further from home than
the tobacco shop AZ the corner. There is
another rule that tweeds and a Norfolk
Jacket may be worn from Friday after
noon 10 Monday morning, but at no other
time during the week. unless one is really
and truly going TO the country.
J Then there is the rule that requires the
! stick 10 be carried only I'm the right hand
and calls for a straight stick with morn
! ing coat and allows a crooked handled
stick only with the lounge suit. There Is
the rule which demands that the hat
shall be worn on the back of the head
whatever the style OF hat-and calls for
the facial expression 70 be OF the utmost
vacuity
There is the rule that requires the brfm
OF soft hat TO be turned down. like a
sou'wester. Indicating that one is not
really in the city. but is Just returning
from a weekend I'm the country. mere
is the rule that requires white flannel
trousers white canvas shoes, white SOCKS
and a straw hat when one approaches
within four miles OF the river, even though
one may have TO wear a fur overcoat at
the same time for warmth. And there Is
the rule that permits tennis In shirtsleeves
but orders a coat for golf.
All these rules are set down in alpha
betical order at the University OF London
and carefully classified and indexed But
even that great institution cannot under
take TO explain them or give a reason for
their existence. All II can do Is TO drill
them into the unfortunate foreigner, mahe
him learn them so that he can begin any
where on the list and say them back
wards or forwards. by syncopation or
simple time. and impress upon him that
he will he the talk Of all the clubs I'm St
James's and probably be ostracized from
socety's favor II he infrInges even the
slightest OF them.
For these rules are the breath OF life
in the Establishments nostrils. .ney are
the marks by which he knows that he Is
a gentleman II II were not for them he
could not tell whether he was gentle
man or only a clerk in the city. This is
the only country I'm the world where n
gentleman has TO wear n label. In all
other countries n mans behavior stamps
him as gentleman or otherwise