The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-07-18
LONDON HAS
new ERA OF
SOCIAL LIFE
TREATMENTS RETURN TO
PRE- WAR BRILLiANCY AND
STUDENTS SEE A NEW ENG
LAND.

London. July 1O-(Correspondence of
the Associated Press2-The first sum
r,er of the after-the- war era is passing
as mere ghost of the old London social
Sc ason which formerly for three months
after Easter transformed Belgravia and
Mayfair into a 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 entertainments on scale which
n other European capital knew. Their
blazing windows at night told of recep
lions and dances on grand scale. Court
was held at Buckingham palace with II
array of uniforms and jewels making an
ursurpassable show. BY day the entire
West End was packed with cars and car
risges 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 estab-
lishments OF the ducal and old landed
families who We're the pillars Of the de-
Ginning regime are closed. their lives
are ordered to quiet and subdued tone.
Not few bear the sign For Sale. or
ITO Let, uestifying 10 the devastation
OF old fortunes through war taxation
the retirement of families In mourning.
Nearly all of the social fixtures ere
missing this year. No courts are be-
ing held at the palace for that presen-
tation to royalty of debutantes and 9TH
ers 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 of the exclusive
world into the royal enclosure at the
Ascot races has been almost the only
semi official gathering of society. and
pressure upon the Lord Chamberlain's
office for admission consequently has
To the stranger London may seem
lively and even gay, but it is a restaurant
and theatregoing liveliness like the Gus
tomary life of New York and Paris. The
war profiteers are spending recklessIy in
their way, but among old fashioned peo-
rle there is a general sentiment that dig
play is not in harmony with the times,
and for many it would be impossible &
they desired IT
Even the restaurant life is much cur
tailed Suppers have been eliminated and
there are hardly dozen places .in this
largest metropolis of the world found
open later than ten o'clock. The mid
night wayfarer sees women in evening
dress with, men in guards uniform or
formal black buying coffee and sand
wiches at a sidewalk coffee stall elbow
TO elbow with crowd of soldiers, cab
men and miscellaneous night wanderers
a picture understandable for the old Lon
don.
Still. with It's life war-shorn OF much
that almost sacred to its ancient
aristocracy. England could never he
otherwise than picturesque and fascinat-
ing. The Derby came into it's own again
az the greatest popular sporting event of
the world as Ascot is the most pstrician
in it's atmosphere. The guards regiment
performed the historic ceremony Of
trooping the colors IN Hyde Park on the
kings birthday. although in DUH khaki
instead of the old array Of scarlet and
blue. The coach with the sleek four-ia-
hand starts from Piccadilly for Richmond
with the stirring flourish of the horn al
though there has been none the
Brighton road since Alfred Vanderbilt
drove that course.
Boating. cricket, tennis and golf have
burst forth with renewed enthusiasm
after four years of sports famine. The
Thames from London to Oxford and be-
yond is long winding pageant of pleas
craft with white Tannelled young
hoatmen and rainbow-tinted dress-.
everywhere.