Mohave County miner. [volume] (Mineral Park, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1882-1918, 1917-02-24
AMERICAN FLAG FLIES
OVER RESIDENCE OF
ENGLISH ARISTOCRAGY

LONDON, Feb. 2.-The Stars and
Stripes now float over the home of
English aristocracy. They were I'M
furled there the other day when the
American consulate-general took pos
session of one of the most pretentious
homes in Cavandish Square, the most
famous Of English squares in the heart
of London's fashionable west end. In
making the move the consulate de-
serted the city proper, the heart Of the
financial district, three miles distant,
where it has been for more than 100
years.
Robert P. Skinner, the consul-gen-
eral, decided the change was essential
to increase the efficiency of his staff,
to keep step with the march OF bust
ness uptown as in New York, and last
but not least, in the interest Of econo-
my. The old consulate was in stuff
fy, ill-ventilated building in New
Broad street, where it was surrounded
by taller structures. It was not easily
accessible to most people who had
business there and the annual rental
was increasing each year. The new
home overcomes all these objections.
It is well ventilated, is pleasantly sit
uated overlooking a small park, is
more central for the thousands who
come there weekly and costs less than
the old.
Consul Skinner and his staff feel
more proud of the historic associations
of the new home. A week before they
moved in it was vacated by Sir Ronald
Ross, an eminent physician who dis
covered the yellow fever germ and
whose researches into the origin of
tropical diseases won for him the No
bel prize in 1902. Sir Ronald's prede-
cessor was Sir Francis Laking, who
was a noted surgeon and physician to
King Edward. Other noted medical
men also occupied the home from time
to time.
The house which is 140 years old is
a'four-story brick and stone structure
of unpretentious exterior appearance.
Its chief feature is the handsome
drawing room on the second floor,
which is now the office of Mr.. Skin
ner. 1t is a large room about 40 by
rs feet square with a ceiling % feet
in height. 1t is of Chippendale design
and the carved white archways and
white marble mantlepiece are known
as Heppel white decorations. The
heavy old mahogany doors form a
pleasing contrast to the blue silk pan
nels on the walls. This room has not
been changed since Sir Ronald left it;
the only addition, except for the plain
furniture, being one of Gilbert Stuart's
portraits of George Washington which
looks down on the consul-generaps
desk.
"Be careful not to make this place
look like a palace or you'll cause a
congressional investigation" said Mr..
Skinner to an Associated Press cor
respondent.
The other rooms on the four floors
are spacious and well adapted for the
business of the consulate which has
grown so large since the war. Besides
having plenty of room for the attaches
there are several large store rooms for
the hundreds of volumes of claims of
American citizens arising out of the
war, including the large number of
prize court cases. Then there is plen-
ty of shelf room for ready reference
purposes.
In fact, the new consulate has three
times the floor space of the old and
neat, commodious reception rooms for
the 900 odd visitors who call there
every day. Cavendish Square is with
in a stones throw of Oxford circus,
the center of London's retail shopping
center, and the consulate's new loca-
ton will be especially advantageous
for many American women and chill
dren who call daily for advice on the
ever-changing regulations governing
their stay in wartime England.
There was no ceremony in connec-
ton with the moving of the consulate. |
Tho ooaroc+ orDrooob - ,,,,-4ls - =
the sort was the washing of the Amer
lean flag in honor of the occasion. 1--WE |
have just got to have Old Glory look |
ing her best up in this swank English
for swelD neighborhood," said George
Washington, the venerable Georgian
who greets visitors at the consulate.
CARRANCISTA TROOPS