Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-20
LONDON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

These reflections were put on paper
in London as the Five-Power Naval
Conference was about to end its fourth
week. For some reason, which Amer
lean observers are not able to fathom,
London's attitude toward the confer
ence is one of studied indifference. The
native, asked to elucidate the mystery,
advances q number of causes. One is
that London and England generally are
fed up" with conferences. Another is
that even though Gas Mr.. Macdonald
SayS) 1.-THE British navy is u.s." the only
two subjects in which the average
Britisher is interested nowadays are
taxation and unemployment. A third
alleged reason for popular nonchalance
about the conference is that when 1t is
all over, whether there's limitation or
reduction of navieS, or not, these tight
little islands will continue to flourish,
more or less, just as If Macdonald,
Stimson, Tardieu, Grand and Wakat-
suki had never been heard Of.
X = X
Britain's apparently carefree attitude
toward the Naval Conference Is char
acteristically reflected in the so-called
popular press of London. Papers with
immense calculations like the Daily
Mail (Which has nearly 100000 a
day., the Daily Express and the Daily
News have day after day published
conference news on back pages, and
far back, at that. Frequently the stuff
has not occupied more than third Of
a column a day, and then was usually
sandwiched among paragraphs dealing
with other minor events. The latest
society marriage, the newest crime
sensation, an unexpected racing or
foot ball result, some cause celebre in
the law courts-any or all OF these
things have had the front pages and
the headlines in London regularly since
the Naval Conference set in. For a
realm which sloganiZes that its fleet
is its call in ALL" these are conditions
which pass our feeble American COM
prehension.
Just as soon as a plenary session of
the conference is over it is Prime Min
lister Macdonald's custom to emerge, in
his capacity of chairman, and face the
newspaper men. The Labor chieftain
has never forgotten that he used to be
a professional journalist himself. With
in the limits of his prerogatives on this
occasion-and they are pretty strict
limits-Macdonald is at pains to be
both informative and interesting. He
loves to banter with the Scribes and has
habit of more than holding his own.
One wisecracks with the "P. M" at
ones own risk. The other day an
American correspondent spoke up and
said: "Mr Prime Minister the favorite
indoor sport among us just now is to
make wagers on the duration of the
conference. Can you say anything that
would affect the betting odds?" There
was twinkle in his merry Scottish eye,
as Macdonald replied: "All my life I
have been a conscientious objector on
the subject of betting. I'm sorry
can't help you out"
One of the discussions now raging in
Parliament and the press is the desc
Grafton" of Hyde Park which the Labor
government is accused of fostering.
The Times has just printed a solemn
Island It is vigorous protest
against the nlans Of the authorities to
install such things as a swimming pool
for mixed bathing, paddle ponds for
children, bowling and putting greens,
merry-go-roundS, tennis courts, foot
ball fields and variety of other things
designed to make the park more at
tractiye and useful for the plain peo-
pie. VictorianS-a vanishing race-are
frankly aghast over Labor's park pro-
gram, and wonder where it is all going
to end.
X X X X
Scotland Yard has decided to double
the number of policewomen on duty in
London. There are now so woman
hobbies" Naturally the question of
how the fair constables shall be CARRIED
Is an important one. One suggestion
Is that they would be of greater sery-
ice TO the public If they were less Of
fetal in appearance. Policewomen have
the same powers Of arrest as policemen.