The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1919-07-12
LONDON SOCIETY
DULL AF TER WAR
NEARLY ALL SOCIAL FIXTURES
MISSING THIS YEAR-GARDEN
PARTY TAKES PLACE OF PRES
ENTATION OF DEBUDANTEs AT
PALACE

LONDON. July 12.-The first siri-
mer of the after-the war era Is pass
ing as a mere ghost of the old Lon
don social season which formerly sor
three months after Easter transform
ed Belgravia and Mayfair into
spectacle by day and night.
In other years. before the war
wrought its changes, the early weeks
of summer saw the great London
houses thrown open for entertainins
on a scale which no other European
capital knew. Their blazing windows
at night told of receptions and dan
ces on a grand scale. Court was held
at Buckinghom palace with an array
of uniforms and jewels making an in
surpassable show. BY day the entire
West End was packed with cars and
taking the women OF society
about for their calls and shopping.
There have been four blank years
from 1915 to 1918. and now most of
the establishments of the ducal and
old landed families who were the
pillars Of the declining regime are
closed. or their lives are ordered 20
a quiet and subdued tone. Not few.
bear the sign For Sale" or ITO Let"
testifying to the devastation OF old
fortunes thru war taxation or the
retirement OF families in mourning.
Nearly all OF the social fixtures are
missing this year. No courts are being
held at the palace for that presenta-
tion to royalty of debutantes and
others which gave them the formal
seal of rank. among the socially elect.
One big garden party Is to take the
place of these. The shepherding pf
the exclusive world into the royal
enclosure at the Ascot races has been
almost the only semi-official gather.
Ing Of society. and pressure upon the
Lord Chamberlain's office for admis-
sion consequently has been more
fierce then heretofore.
To the stranger London may seem
lively and even gay. but It Is a res.
taurant and theatergoing liveliness
like the customary life of New York
and Paris. The war profiteers are
among old fashioned people there Is
general sentiment that display D.
not in harmony with the times. AMI
for manv it would be impossible il
they desired 1t.
Even the restaurant life is much
curtailed Suppers have been elimir-
ated and there are hardly a dozen
places in this largest metropolis Of
the world :Ound open later than ter
o'clock. The midnight wayfarer sees
women in evening dress with men in
Guards uniform or formal black buy
ing coffee and sandwiches at \
sidewalk coffee stall elbow TO elbow
with crowd Of soldiers, cabmen and
miscellaneous night wanderers, a pie
ture undreamable for the old Londcn.
Still, with its life war-shorn OF
much that was almost acres to its
ancient aristocracy, England could
never be otherwise than picturesque
and fascinating. The Derby came in
to its own again as the greatest pip
ular sporting even of the world. as
Ascot is the most patrician in Its at
m osphere. The Guards regiment Per-
formed the historic ceremony of
trooping the colors in Hyde Park. on
the Kings birthday. although In dull
khaki instead Of the old array OF
scarlet and blue. The coach with the
sleek four-in-hand starts from Pic
cadilly for Richmond with the stir
ring flourish of the horn altho there
has been none on the Brighton road
since Alfred Vanderbilt drove that
course.
FoafipG, crockett, tennis and r',:f
have burst forth with renewed ell