The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-07-29
.PIRISiANS SEEK
GAIETY IN LONDON
~
War Causes English City
TO Become Amusement
Center.
(By Associated Press

LONDON, July 29.-one OF the par.
Adozes Of the war is the visiting OF
Parisians to. London for bit OF ex.
element and gaiety. Paris is nothing
Ike its old self, for its theatres are
closed, motor buses at the front, most
OF its takes laid up and sIarge number
Z of its hotels closed. But London has
sacrificed but little Of its old life. Ho'
tells are full. tea.roomB and restaur.
ants as crowded as ever, theatres. es'
pecially the music halls and revues,
well attended, and the Hyde Park and
upper Thames have their usual crowds
OF holiday makers.
But this does not mean that London
does not feel the war. The hotel
guests are mainly purchasing agents
for the allied powers, visiting attaches
on official business and agents for
American factories looking for supply
contracts. Comparatively few of the
younger men seen in the fashionable
tea places and restaurants wear civil.
ian clothes. Khaki is also the pre-
vafling color among the men at the
reyues. The "Piccadilly knut, as the
young men who set the fashions are
called. has largely disappeared from
HIS Of dhaunts.
London's gaiety is In one sense
largely kept up by the war. Men liv.
ing the hard routine Of duty at the
trainfng camps or life of constant
danger at the front seem TO find com
plete change and rest Of mind in a
frivolous show as in nothing else. The
first idea Of a wounded man on getting
out Of the hospital is round OF res.
taurants and variety halls. Officers
an denIisted men with arms in sings
and on clutches are sights too com.
mon there to attract more than pass
ing notice.
Curiously enough, the new dramas
based on the war, except few spy
plays, have had no support at all and
were soon taken of. Yet a French
company giving a series Of short plays
nightly has met great success be-
cause OF its thrillers-tales of concen'
trated horror. Comedies OF the light
society kind have failed to attract.
while those with real humor and we'll
drawn characters have enjoyed unin.
terrupted runs. A season OF Russian
and French opera came TO an early
and disastrous close, and the popular
priced evening orchestral "proms" n
Albert Hall were discontinued for lack
OF support Concerts on the whole do
not seem, however. to have suffered
greatly from the war.
Fashionable life has merely trans
formed its activities. Instead of pri-
al No Ire eArsafyr cipne hnynHtS
ranging from gala theatrical perform
anees with royalty present to garden
fetes. It is quite cosmopolitan, for its
object is the raising OF funds not only
for British charities. hut for Nelgian.
French, Russian. Serbian and Italian
relief funds.
While London has lost its German
and Austrian colony. 1t is so filed with
Belgians that Flemish and French
signs can be seen in shop windows all
over the city. Many French families
have come over also. There was
long season Of French-Belgan comedy
played by a company from Brussels
with the best talent Of the country.
Nine Rejane and a Partisan company
had successful run in repertory and
another French company now has a
theatre.
The tea-rooms OF the fashionable no.
tells were never better attended. large
~ by Officers on duty But the mass
of London takes its pleasures more
cheaply. The band stand in Hyde Park
has lost mona of its popularity of even
ings, but the character Of the crowd
has changed. Before the war. the
band enclosure was the rendezvous OF
the foreign element. the men mostly
Of the waiter and the small clerk class.
Hundreds, and on Sunday nights. thou.
sands Of young Germans used to be
out. These times. the Germans. Aus.
TRANS. French and Italian young men
are otherwise employed. but there is
foreign element from Belgium,
France and neutral countries. Most
OF the men seen are British soldiers
IN training. with sprinkng OF Bel
gian soldiers
Boating on the upper Thames is one
of London's main summer pleasures. |
Tea gardens, cottages and house boats
line the banks. and every bright Sat
urday and Sunday afternoon still finds
the river full of punts. canoes and
Wineries. But instead OF white fan
nels and striped Jerseys, most OF the
men wear khaki.