Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-24
CAPITAL OF BRITAIN
/. CITY WITHIN A CITY
Old Time Westminster, With
in London Boundary, 0rigi.
nal Seat of Government.

land?
THE natural response ID London.
The precise answer Is Westminster"
says bulletin from the National Geo.
graphic Society.
IF the word city be omitted the
answer, of course, is London, for the
London of common knowledge. the
London of some 100000 inhabitants.
is the County of London. 1t includes
the City of Westminster, with its Par
lament buildings, and it also includes
the original City of London, q tiny
patch in the center of the great Metro
politan district.
A City Within a City.
1.-THE City of London proper came
into the days news recently through its
time-honored Lord Mayors Show,
which this year was enlivened by a
band Of real American Indians in fun
regalia.
1.-THE city, with an area Of only q
square mile and resident population
Of $4,000, is the smallest Of the 20
divisions of Greater London.
The city Is by far the oldest and
the most interesting part of London.
While 1t does not contain the Parliae
ment buildings, nor Westminster Alb
hey. nor any of the royal palaces, it
Is the commercial and banking center,
the newspaper center, and in st.
Pauls Cathedral and the Tower of
London it has two of England's most
famous institutions; 1t is still es-
Romans founded Londinium. Walls,
long since torn down, define many Of
Its streets, and gates, such as Aldgate,
Blsnopgate, Moorgate and Temple Bar,
are preserved in street names.
"Old Lady Of ThreadneedIe Street."
Visitors to London are aware Of a
difference when their wanderings lead
them from one of the other boroughs
or cities OF London into the city. The
streets are narrower and more wind
Ing, and the atmosphere Is surcharRed
with activity and hustle.
I'm the very midst of the city broods
that portentous dowager, The Old Lady
OF Threadneedle Street. more formally
the Bank of England.
Directly across Threadneedle street
from the bank is the Royal Exchange,
building as imposing as New York's
Stock Exchange. But it Is only show
place. The real stock exchange is al
most hidden around the corner, be-
tween Threadneedle and Throgmorton
streets.
"one may feel the pulse beats Of the
world In Fleet street, London's concen-
trated newspaper and press association
center. Here the printing presses never
stop, early morning editions of evening
papers following hard on the headlines
OF midnight editions of morning jour-
mails. Londoners are inveterate news
paper readers. All the great news
agencies Of the world have Offices here.
London Bridge Stately Edifice.
1.-THE London Bridge of incipient,
nursery-rhyme collapse is not the pres
emit stately, arched structure. Nothing
short Of an earthquake could fell It's
sturdy granite spans. London Bridge
connects the city with the borough of
Southwark, and marks the farthest
point that ocean vessels may ascend
the Thames. More than 10000 vehicles
and 10000 people on foot pour over
it daily.
1.-THE GuildhalL or Hall of the Cor
poratjon Of the City of London, would
be known as the city hall elsewhere.
Here the chief business of the city Is
carried on. 1t should be pointed out.
however, that this is not the admins
trative center for Metropolitan Lon
don. While the Lord Mayor and his
Crowns approval and the crowds
huzzas, quiet man, almost unknown
to Londoners themselves, was sitting
IN the County Hall in Lambeth bor-
ough, passing on the major affairs of
London without thought or permission
Of the Lord Mayor.
Real Boss Of London.
"This virtual unknown is the chair
man of the London County Council,
the real ruling body for Greater Lon
don. The Lord Mayors Jurisdiction
extends only over the square mile Of
the City of London. The chairman Of
the London County Council, who is
chosen from 124 councillors elected by
the taxpayers of all London, has con-
troll of housing, education, public
health, transportation, streets, drain
age water supply and numerous other
vital matters throughout the entire
metropolitan district.
Corporation of Great Antiquity.
THE corporation of the City of Lon
don, however, Is Of greater antiquity
than the English Parliament. It Is
not even of English origin While the
city was still walled town the French
idea of commune was adopted, and
later a charter was obtained from
King John giving the citizens the right
to elect their own mayor, provided they
would present their choice annually for
royal approval. The riding to West
minister that followed marked the be-
ginning of Lord Mayor shows, the
most colorful and popular of all English
pageants.
Custom demands that English SOW
ereigns who wish to visit the city must
present themselves at Temple Bar, and
request permission to do So The Lord
Mayor then offers the sword Of the
city to the King, who graciously re-
turns it to the Mayor. The city itself
has never been the capital of England,
but. by espousing the popular cause,
has managed to secure many privileges
for itself I"