The Washington herald., 1914-04-12
GLOOMY EASTER
NLONDON Town
Only Royalty in City Famous
for Its Size and
Fogs. +
HALF-MILLION HAVE LEFT
Titled Families Go to Ireland and
Scotland -Peeress Takes Up
Aviation for Pleasure.
HALF-MILLION HAVE LEFl


London. April 11.-Nearly half million
people have fed from London over Easter
and, as may be imagined, the metropolis
presents a dreary spectacle. 1t serves
London right, as there is no attempt
made to attract or keep visitors here.
The London Sunday needs no intro
duction. Think of four London Sundays
banded together and you have some
idea of Easter in the so-called greatest
city of the world. Paris. Rome, the
Riviera and even the English seaside
resorts are packed with visitors, while
the guardians of London's amusements
look on with a maternal, sanctimonious'
Chadband air and roll bilious eyes in
horror when anything more exciting than
a sacred concert is suggested for Good
Friday or Easter Sunday.
As far as society is concerned, the
town will be practically empty during
the next fortnight The evening of the
grand opera season at the end Of the
month will call many back and May
promises to be a very busy month So
ciaIly.
The only royalty spending Easter in
town is Queen Alexandra, who, owing to
an attack of influenza, is confined to
Marlborough House. The Queen caught
a bad chill at the time of the funeral
Of the late Duke of Fife and has not
fully recovered from it; in fact the state
of her health is causing her encourage
some alarm.
King George and Queen Mary are
spending a quiet fortnight at Windsor be-
fore the hustle and excitement OF the
state visit to Paris. While the King
chief recreation is riding around "indsor
Park, accompanied by Princess Mary,
the Queen spends all the time she can
rummaging among the quantities of old
furniture that at different times have
been banished from the rooms useo by
the court.
Lord and Lady Granard (the latter Miss
ReatrIce Hills of New York; have gone
TO ireland for the holidays, which they
will spend at Castle Forbes in Longford
Though Longford is not one Of the most
picturesque counties in Ireland. Castle
Forbes makes up in modern comfort
what it lacks in picturesqueness or ro-
mantle interest
Lady Granard's parents, Mr.. and Mrs
Ogden Mills, are among the Easter party
at Castle Forbes.
Lady PaEet, formerly Miss Stevens. of
New York, likewise is spending Easter
in Ireland, having returned to the Royal
Hospital, Dublin, from the Riviera, where
she was during the time her soldier hus-
band, Gen Sir Arthur Paget. was the
center of the army crisis in Ulster. The
Duke and Duchess OF Roxburghe also
have returned from the Riviera ana are
spending the holidays at Floors Castle'
in Scotland, but will not return to Ches-
terfield House for the London season
They are entertaining a large house party
at Floors for the United Border hunt
SteepIechases on April %
The Countess of Essex, formerly Miss
Adele Grant, of New York, has Joined the
ranks of peeresses who have taken Up
aviation for recreation. Early in the
week she went for a long flight at Hen
don with Grahame-White. Lady Essex
said she enjoyed the sensation immensely
and will not be satisfied until she has
Joined the select. but fast growing band
of aristocratic ''loop-the-loopers."
Truman H. Newberry. of Detroit, for
merly Secretary of the Navy. spent few |
days here this week, arriving from Egypt. |
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Thomas, Of New
York, arrived yesterday from the Cont |
nent.
Among those registered at the Savoy |
this week are J. E. Roosevelt and John
r. MCGOWAN, of New York, and G. r. |
Wadsworth. of Boston.
Ambassador Page, Mrs. Page, and Miss
Page are spending Easter at Sandwich
There the Ambassador is able to crafty |
his fondness for golf and at the same
time learn a few new wrinkles from
Francis Ouimet, who is familiarizing
himself with the Sandwich championship
course.
BY the way. the lease for the offices in
Victoria street, where the United States
Embassy has been offiially located for
the last twenty-nine years. expires short
". and unless the State Department is
willing to pay a greatly increased rental
il will be necessary to find new quarters.
Rents have increased fourfold since TIE
original lease was made.