LONDON TOPICS

Evening Star, Issue 22452, 24 September 1936, Page 13

LONDON TOPICS

ANOTHER PROBLEM FOR LEAGUE [Feom Our Correspondent.] (By Air Mail.) August 27. If the Spanish Government does decide to appeal to the League of Nations for assistance it will provide that sorely perplexed body with yet another knotty problem. After the League s notable lack of success in protecting one of its members from an outside aggressor, it is surprising to find the Spanish Government harbouring any hopes that the League can bring succour to protect it from domestic enemies. Just exactly what are the obligations of League members in the matter is not clear, but the Spaniards claim they have discovered some in certain clauses of the Covenant. The appeal is not likely to be appreciated by a Europe in search of neutrality pacts, and the League naturally will not he eager to sponsor another cause that must inevitably bring it into obloquy. Happily, Geneva is admirably equipped with pigeon-holes, and here is no reason to suppose that there is not one vacant and available for appeals on behalf of either one or the other factions in the strife in Spain. A point of some importance has heen raised regarding the sale of aeroplanes to belligerents in the Spanish civil war. The question is whether, as these machines are undoubtedly in many oases being converted to military use and possibly doing considerable damage by bombing operations, _ any subsequent claim might rest against the_ Governments of the countries of their origin. The nearest parallel seems to be the historic case of the Alabama, a merchant vessel, built on the Mersey in 1862, which left Liverpool ostensibly as a ship of peace, but was furnished off the Azores with guns and munitions by the consort, and acted as a Confederate cruiser during the American Civil War. The American Government later claimed compensation, and a Court of Arbitration at Geneva in 1872 awarded the United States £3,000,000 damages against Great Britain. There may be points of legal or technical distinction between the two cases, but the parallel appears close enough to merit attention. MOSCOW DRAMA. The trial of the Bolshevik celebrities accused of plotting against the Stalin regime had a baffling auro of Asiatic fatalism. Though the death penalty is atuomatic for the crime with which they were charged, all the prisoners indulged in a competitive orgy of selfaccusation. If this were intended to shield others, it would be understandable, but it is not." The accused have incriminated many others, including Sokolnikoff, who was Soviet Ambassador to London for three years, Tomsky, head of the Russian trade unions, who was once a distinguished guest of honour at one of our T.U.C. congresses, and the editor and leader writer of the official organ, ‘ Izvestia.’ All the accused agree, however, that the mainspring of this seemingly widespread conspiracy is Trotsky, Lenin’s old lieutenant and former Chief of the Red Army, now an exile in Norway, after twice having to change his foreign asylum. Kameneff’s plea, that terrorism was their only available means of action, is noteworthy. OLD ACQUAINTANCE. The new Military Attache at the French Embassy in London, General Lelong, is an old acquaintance of the 1914 epoch. When our Regular Expeditionary Force crossed over to France in August, 1914, this capable French officer was in charge of a corps of military cyclists, whose duty it was to maintain the liaison between the French and British troops, fn the frantic turmoil of the Mons fighting and subsequent retreat, this task was far from easy, though of supreme importance. In the general mix-up that ensued, General

Lelong, as he now is, frequently found himself in temporary or emergency command of small bodies of British soldiers, and very ably and tactfully he discharged a difficult work. As he is one of the oldest Army friends ot General Gamelin, now Chief-of-Staff in the French army, General Lelong ought to be in a position to keep our Army chiefs well posted concerning the ideas and proposals of the French military headquarters, JELLICOE’S ORDEAL. Admiral Bacon, in his ‘ Lite of Lord Jellicoe,’ rends the critics of his hero’s Jutland tactics. He also gives us an intense picture of the tremendous test Jellicoe’s seamanship was subjected to. Mr Churchill has told us that Jellicoe was the only man who could have lost the Great War in half an hour. Admiral Bacon cuts it even finer. In 20 seconds Jellicoe had to decide which way to deploy, knowing that the wrong one might cost us the control of the seas. Comparison with Nelson’s Trafalgar problem is puerile. These were not slow sailing ships, but two mighty steel armadas hurtling towards each other at tremendous speed. Jellicoe did not know how the Germans were aligned, not even precisely where they were. Dusk drew near, mist hid the sea, and his information was in pome particulars misleading. But Jellicoe gave the right order, aud Germany never challenged the British Fleet after Jutland. Unfortunately the Admiralty in Whitehall, who were intercepting all sorts of wireless signals during the Jutland action, failed to transmit one or two vital items conveying the position of the German fleet to Jellicoe. Included amongst these was the enemy admiral’s summons to rendezvous at the Horn’s Reef after night interrupted the battle. Another almost incredible blunder was when the Lion, having forgotten the secret code signal for the day, asked the following battle cruiser to transmit it. This was done, and was duly noted by the enemy. During the night, when a squadron ot the German ships encountered part of our Fleet, the enemy gave the secret signal, and got away with it. The one rather unconvincing point in Admiral Bacon’s account is his estimate as to the severe hammering certain German ships sustained in the first encounter, because he states later that these same ships were still able to keep up with their main command. SAGITTARIUS RISING. This is the title of perhaps the most notable war book, Colonel Lawrence's ‘ Seven Pillars ’ always excepted, yet given to the world. Its author, Mr Cecil Lewis, now 37, was only 16 when he left school to join the Royal Hying Corps. He has had the wisdom to wait 18 years before attempting to set down the memories and impressions ot Ins share in the great adventure of 1914-18. The result is a work of literary as well as psychological art which loses nothing of its vivid realism by possessing a matured perspective and sense of balance. He went through the ordeal from 1915 to _ the end scatheless, hut his recollections of flying over tho western front, photographing the Somme amongst other things, and patrolling over London at night for Zeppelins, at an age when other boys are still at school, make fascinating reading. This record of a cherub aloft in war is most absorbing of all, however, in its vignettes of airman personalities. These lads ate, drank, and were merry, for to-morrow they crashed. SLOW UP THE LADDER. Slow promotion has always been a peace-time grievance in the fighting services. • Naval officers felt the pinch severely after the post-war scrapping, but the trouble has been remedied in part by Fleet expansion and a selfdenying ordinance by seniors. With its bigger cadres and steady peacetime casualties, the R.A.F. is faced by no real grievance. But the Army is seriously perplexed by congestion on the promotion ladder, and the War Office may be forced to take some action to meet the position. One suggestion is that retiring ago for “ brass hats ” should be reduced, and that no officer should bold two posts. Lack of promotion prospects is making the Army unattractive as a career for officers just when it is ceasing to be regarded otherwise than as a serious career. Tins paradox arises because

men no longer enter the Army as a temporary pastime as in former days, and consequently promotion is not stimulated by constant resignations. ELDERLY BRASS HATS. The military reformers hold strongly that, more than in any other career, youth should be served in the Army. They can point to tragic examples where during the war senile commanders made a sad hash of things. The most notable instance, .as most people know, occured at a crucial point in the Gallipoli campaign. Had the Suvla Bay landing been properly pressed, there was a moment when brilliant success would have been certain. That Jack of energetic and alert command by a subordinate Brass Hat cost the ADies about two years of ruinous warfare, and probably changed the whole political history of Eastern Europe. Nearly all the greatest commanders of the past were youngish men. Napoleon is the outstanding example, of course, but there are many others, including Julius Caesar. It is perhaps lucky for us, and for France, that the German High Command in 1914 was held by elderly men. Germany at all events will not repeat that mistake. CORONATION SEATS. Directly the official route for King Edward’s Coronation procession was published there was a tremendous rush to book seats to view it. Many eager applicants, some of whom no doubt were buying merely as a speculation and with no thought of themselves occupying the seats, were amazed to find they had been forestalled by_ earlier birds prepared to risk the omission of their locations from the official route. This has actually happened to people who paid big sums for seats in a part of Piccadilly down which the procession seemed sure to pass, but which in fact it will avoid. With over six miles of route, however, profiteering should be checked bj the available accommodation for sightseers. The current rates are from £2 to £lO, or more in special cases, per seat. The stands round Pa'ace Yard will be allocated to peers and M.P.s, and Whitehall’s -windows to invited official guests. Millions of people will be able to see the pageant from the pavements. PINKY BLUE. The list of officially approved Socialist candidates for the next General Election, an event still some years ahead, we may hope, includes the name of Mr G. Wansbrough, the famous Cambridge stroke, who also distinguished nimself as a boxer at Eton. It might be interesting to know the psychological sequence by which an Old Etonian and Cambridge rowing blue comes to see the Pink light. He will once more challenge at West Woolwich the parliamentary claims of Sir Kingsley Wood, so that Mr Wansbrough’s prospects, unless there comes some strange turnover of popular feeling in this country, are somewhat of the for-lorn-hope variety. He is quite an effective platform man, however, and sincerely seized of his particular political theories. As he is in private life a city banker- and company director, he must sometimes, one would think, be conscious of a rather dual personality. in the office he is a pillar of capitalism. On the platform lie is a Marxian disciple. SIR THOMAS CULLINAN. The name of Sir Thomas Cullinan, who has just died in Johannesburg, has become a national word in this country by reason of the great diamond which has gone to the making of the regalia. Sir Thomas was the discoverer of the mine in which this stone was found. Almost three times as large as any other diamond previously known, the stone was unearthed accidentally by an overseer of the mine whilst making his rounds through the galleries. Acquired by the Transvaal Government, it was subsequently presented to King Edward VII. as a token of loyal appreciation of the status granted to the colony as an outcome of the South African War. Deemed to be too large as one stone, the great diamond was sent over to Holland, where it was split into several sections, the two largest, each of which is bigger than Queen Victoria's famous Koh-i----noor, are now known as the Stars of Africa, and are mounted respectively on the Sceptre and Imperial State Crpwiii

OLD VIOLINS. A recent note in this letter on the subject of old violins and Strads has brought numerous letters from readers who are the possessors of instruments believed to be of ancient and famous origin. In most cases, however, it is to be feared that the owners have been too credulous in attaching importance to the faded and dusty labels so often cunningly inserted by unscrupulous second-hand dealers. Genuine Strads and Cremonas are not to be picked up for “ a mere song ” nowadays, for their value is too well recognised for them to rest unsuspected in the unredeemed stock of the pawnbroker. 6ne reader, however, writes to tell me that he is the owner of a fiddle_ bearing the following inscription:—“ Nicolaus Amatus Fecit In Cremona, 1646,” and inquires if it is of much value. _As the violin has been in his possession for more than SO years the possibility of its genuineness would seem to, be much greater than is the case with more recently acquired finds. Possibly some other readers may be able to offer suggestions as to its value. TOURISTS TO MOSCOW. One of the strangest and most noisy parties of ‘‘Britishers” which ever set out for a visit to Soviet Russia is now somewhere upon its way across the North Sea. It consists of a large number of Zoo inmates, who, upon an arrangement between Moscow and London, are being sent to the Soviet capital upon an exchange system. The party is nearly 40 strong in monkeys alone, who are headed by Mary Ann, a large and very vivacious chimpanzee. There are many birds of various feather, including two toucans —whom, from recollection of a well-known poster, one hopes will not find too great temptation in the potency of the Russian national beverage. A coil of illtemper is provided by a python, and other quarrelsome and peevish visitors are a hyena and a couple of dingoes. Whether the customary choppiness of the Dogger Bank has had a quelling effect upon the high spirits of the tourists is not yet known, but the party was full of vim and vigour when it left the Thames on board the Russian steamer which is taking it through the Baltic. L. SIGN. The amenities of the rather congested open npad in the London area are threatened by a new abuse. When driving tests were instituted, and the L sign adopted to indicate a car with a learner aboard, some expert drivers took unscrupulous advantage of the fact. Knowing how other drivers allowed a certain latitude to an L car, they displayed the L sign on their cars in order to secure an unfair advantage on the road and in the traffic. This abuse appears to have been discouraged, perhaps by public opinion and perhaps by vigilant police action., But now a worse symptom is developing. Experienced and careful drivers are finding that occasionally a fast-driven car will cut in dangerously, and, if any sort of protest is sounded on the horn, they display through their back window at the offended victim of the cut-in a placard reading “You Need an L Sign.’’ This is, of course, adding insult to injury, and lots of drivers are getting very hot under the collar about it. COLLECTING MANIA. It is surprising that no eminent psy-cho-analyst has yet propounded the theory that the craze for collecting is part of a kleptomaniac complex. There are people who collect all manner of things, from empty matchboxes of different brands to cigar bands. The autograph and stamp fiends are, of course, the outstanding examples, but now I am told that the cigarette card collector is running them pretty close. Small and rather street-soiled kiddies, who accost the passer-by with an eternal “ Cigareet card, sir?” are not the only victims of this mania. There are now estimated to be at least one hundred thousand regular and staid adult collectors of these cards, and already some “ sets,” complete and clean, are worth up to about £l2 or so, and the market is a rising one. Nor is collecting cigarette cards a purely British hobby. It is just as keenly followed on the Continent, and even in scientific Germany. We may be within reasonable date of the first C.C.C. International Congre6« t

FRIENDLY. It seems to be agreed that the moral of our rather poor showing in Berlin at the recent Olympic Games, if we are really going to take international athletics seriously, is that we must go in for better and more intensive training. This fact is emphasised by a' rather pleasing little incident that occurred in Berlin, Young Webster, our champion in the pole jumping competition, was practising. An American coach happened to notice him, and, after one br‘ two jumps, spoke to him. “ Say, kid I’’ said this hundred-per-cent. Yankee expert, “ next time you jump, try giving a twist as you let go the pole to that under shoulder.” Webster tried it, and, without effort, put another 4in on his jump. Actually he cleared 13ft ■» in the competition proper, and, though the winner cleared over 14ft, the value of this friendly, casual tip suggests what systematic coaching by a real expert might do in all cases, and especially in those field events at which out men are still tyros.