NOTES FROM ENGLAND.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1073, 11 March 1911, Page 11

NOTES FROM ENGLAND.

RANDOM JOTTINGS. A course of country house visits has impressed on my mind-the fact that tlio modern woman is a power in politics (says a writer in an English paper). She is well lip in the subject, knows her own mind, and speaks the truth without fear or favour. And this quite apart from the votes for women movement, that, lias justice 011 its side, but which is now discredited by tho vagaries of it.g votaries. No 0110 cau deny that at the present crisis women have worked well, aud done much to pacify the fighters, and to bridge over what may be termed class 'differences. Durjng tlio reccnt general election they used their charm, their wit, aud their quick repartee to win votes and to secure the goodwill of the people. And tho friendship of the working classes is easy to retain even in the stonn and stress of 1910-11.

Class hatred is a doctrine that seems, unhappily, to be taught bj-more than one prominent politician, indeed, even by Cabinet Ministers. But, thanks be, it has not as yet taken root in tho country districts, where in most cases the feeling between landlord and tenant is of the friendliest-description. Aud we who live in London often see proofs of the' good terms that still exist between the poor and the upper classes. If an accident happens in tho street or a trifling servico can bo rendered, a willing hand seems always ready to give the needed assistance. And at a smart wedding the poor, ill-clad onlookers plainly prove by their eager and' kindly interest that they have in their hearts 110 bitter feeling against the wealthy aud titled classes. After all, wo shall do well to believe Mr. Balfour's dictum when he said, "Trust the people."

The Marys. A million Marys! Those who know declare that there must bo at least a million women who bear that name or its variants in England, Scotland, and Ireland. And there are few among them who will not give their penny or their bound to the offering Ito be'mado to Queen Mary at the time of the Coronation.' It is only by careful reckoning that one can realise tho number of Jlarvs. There are several in the Royal family. First comes Princess Mary of Wales, Princess Victoria and Queen Maud, of Norway are both Marys, and Princess Henry of Batteiiberg ig a Marie. And two cousins of tho King have the name of Marie. These are the Crown Princess of Rumania and Princess Mario Louise of Schleswig-Holstein. Then several of the duchesses can.become contributors. Tho Duchess of Norfolk and the Duchess of Bedford are both Marys, the Duchess of Newcastle is May, the Duchess of Rutland Marion, and the Dowager Duchess of Grafton Marie. In Scotland the reigning Duchess of Hamilton and her predecessor, tho former duchess, are both Marys, and tho Duchess of Roxburgh is May. Tlio Duchess of Abercorn makes another Mary, and'shc represents Ireland. 'Mary is a name that, of course, stands high in favour with Roman Catholics. Most of their women bear it; indeed, it is even given to a few of their men, as. in the caso of tho late Lord Arundel, the Duke of Norfolk's son by. his first marriage, who had the names of Philip Joseph Mary. It is of interest "to note that tho namo of-Mary was rare in Western Europe until the time of the Crusades. After that, however, it came much in favour, and every Christian country has now its roll call of celebrated Marys and Maries. By tho way, when this welcome scheme was announced, several variants of Mary were included; but one wishes that a place could be given to tho Irish Maureen, to the French Marictte, and to the Spanish Mariana; and. also .to the old name . of , Miriam, which first appears in Bible history./

The Coupe Femina, AmoDg the competitions that'ended with the year was that for tho cup offered by a Paris paper-', for tho longest flight by' a woman'in 1910. It naturally had not so exciting a finish as the Michelin and/ do. Forest contests,. since there are, as-yet, •comparatively few .women who jhave-f/oobtaincd - aviators' -certificates, though many ore rapidly qualifying. Only three women actually made a serious attempt to win tho prize—Miles. Herveu, Marvingt, and Dutrieu, although it was said that Mme. Neil would compete. Mile. Marvingt was thofirst to try her luck, and she . remained in the air for fifty-three minutes, covering forty-three kilometres on her Antoinette monoplane. Mile. Dutrieu, who flies a Henry Farman biplane, beat this by Hying sixty kilometres in ono hour nine minutes. She soon after bettered this figure by covering 107 kilometres in two hours thirty-live minutes, a distance which was not beaten, and thereforo won the cup. Mile. Herveu tried to improvo upon this record at Pau, flying on' her Bleriot machine, but-after flying for two hours and five minutes she was obliged to como down on account of the wind. The weather also prevented Mile. Dutrieu from advancing her own record when sho made an attempt at Etamnes on December 29. We hear that Mme. Franck Hewartson . has been able to leave tho Sunderland Infirmary and return to her home in France. It is probable that Mrs. Hewlett will soon qualify for her certificate at Brooklands, where she has been taking lessons from M. Blondeau on their Henry Farman machine.