The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-13
American Festivities As
 Seen By An English Visitor
TOW New York and London Welcome New Year-Marked
 Difference in the Two Nations Styles
nv LADY MARY

NeW York, January 11-(SpeciaL l-Tho thermometer at zero and yet the big piate glass window of florists shop m Fifth avenue was filled with mass ot terderly colored orchids that shaded from faintest mauve to blackish purple While sprays of faintest yellow blooms cast delicate hint as of sunshine through the lovely blossoms. A wonder 1ul sight truly, and typical, it seemed to me, of the spirit of New York, where extremes meet and where warmth and luxury is cradled in the lap of fierce eommercialism. Orchids and ice, tropic warm and arctic cold-a strange pitiless city that is as fascinating and as dan gerous as a capricious coquette. I am beginning to get under the siren spell of this wonderful place, that, from the cut sider's point of view, has as yet scarcely been scored by the fires of that raging conflict that is every day coming nearer to our hearts.
 NEW YEAR EVE CELEBRATION
 am told the New Year celebrations " ere this season marked by their quiet ness and discretion. 1 daresay all these matters are pjust creations of contrast, but to me the ushering in of the infant 1918 was accomplished with much joyous levelry. In England the years of war weariness have blunted dthe edge of our enthusiasm, and the birth of the New Year is accepted with hope that has no special expression except that of doSged earneStneSS about it.
 1 was one of numerous and very merry party at one of the great New York hotels this New Years Eve, and 1 felt very much like a child who had been drawn into some unexpected and forbidden excitement It was all so wonderfully fresh and new and young. Flowers and greenery and foolish fanci- tul caps worn by men and women alike rhythmic music and hundreds of young men, hale and whole, dancing with girls and women with never a thought of the peril that lirks as it always does now adays round and about London. Spen- did, happy soulsl thought Land 1 also joined w.th all my heart in the revels and for the night and far into the new day cast aside those haunting nerve racking thoughts that must always spring into the brain of an English woman.
 UNIFORMED MEN DANCE
 I have not had real, joyous New Years Eve for three years so what won der that I should throw myself into the swing and swirl of New Years festive spirit. It seemed odd to see so few men in khaki and stranger still to see those who were in uniform dancing like every one else. For in London only civilian clad men are permitted to dance in a public ballroom. If by chance an off cer or soldier forgets the rule and gets upon the dancing floor, the band in stantly stops till he has taken his seat again. As I am so far away from London and l its keen-eyed censor, would like to say | here and now that it is an absurd and 1 rather cruel law framed by an unm | aginative military authority with no sort | home on leave from the front or up 1 from the strict training and discipline | of camp life long for a dance above | everything. They will submit without l a murmur to the necessary and wise re- strietions of the liquor license, but they | growl and grumble like children deprived | of treat at the foolish cutting off of