London, Apr. 22.
Even without being a football "fan ix'was Impossible not to be infected lby the cup-final atmosphere yesterday, for hundreds of special trains, motor buses Innumerable were run to Lon-[Son yesterday from all over England. Streams of sightseers were flowing Iinrough the West ud even before lpreakfast.. At the principal stations from which Wembley is gained, spe~ cist railway officials were put on from o'clock to guide the visitors to the ight platform. Two hours earller that. firn queues were forming, outside Wembiey's gates. Ninety thousand lpcople saw the match and as good Rempered. a multitude as could be ound between the seven se08, 'Of all the superiorities, perhaps the east defensible fs. that which vents seit disdainfully on the enthusiasm for England's masses' for the football tournament. Kipling had a special purpose to serve when he wrote "the flanneled fools at the wicket and muddied oafs at the goals." He is much foo. furaan to speak contemptuously labour the Joy, the devotion, the trii~ ing interest which each team arouses among its thousands of humble supporters, and. "oat" is surely the laet ford to apply to the men capable [he exquisite skill and cool caleulation which alone can win victory in these contests, While Manchester City and Portsmouth were Aghting it out at Wembfey, another Cup final had been taking place (asthe BBC. told us later) somewhere in Asia Mitec. Tt was an exciting match. At half-ime one side. was two goals down. On the resumption, the losing side was being heavily pressed, when suddenly. th bail burst. Another ball was brough and that too burst, just when it seem-fed. likely. to go through the losing earn's goal, On investigation one the backs was found to have a long, sharp nail Btted to the toe of his hoot ie was ordered off the field, but this ala not stop the destruction of balls Ire onlookers now gave riely signs of wishing to Join in the fray, and the only. thing to. do was to" stop the match. It really seems rather a dull nding to a colourful afternoon.
Mrs. Roosevelt's Speech I see that Mrs, Roosevelt, speaking jat'a dinner of American publishers, nas been criticizing the soft of stuff which fils the average "Woman's Page:" She declared that what women twant is "real facts about all phases of life to-day," and based this assertion on the thousands of letters she receives weekly from women all over JAmerica. They enable her, she said, give the President much valuable information about public thought human rel I believe there is a great deal of truth in this. It often seems to me: that there is a great deal of sameness the Woman's Pages. And at the [present time there are probably more fguite young girls who are really Interested in the so-called "serious" subjects than ever there were before.
But "polities" is a gloomy and lighting word. R, L. Stevenson rejeorded that one of the cleverest, mos: teapable, most entertaining women he lever knew "declared herself incapable jof understanding the word politics."
fact, how many people outside the Jauthors of the Oxford Dictionary, Jcould give you a clear definition of But that many women do take personal interest in the practical fspplicatien of the word, I am sure.
What a responsibility on editors! And only a few days ago, of the House fof Lords debate on the Betting Bul, read, in one paper, the heading Government Gives in on the Betting Bill" and ju another "Government [Stands by its Betting Bill" Now Jwhat do you know about that?
Mrs. Proctor's Election Mrs, Dod Proctor's election as JARA. is generally welcomed in the fartistie word, except, of course, by those who al feet to believe that to receive honour from the Royal JAcademy is to incur the damnation that Lingereth not. Only two women before her have been similarly distinguished, the late Mrs. Annie ISwynnerton, and Dame Laura Knight, though Reynolds included Angelica [Kaufmann and Mary Moser as foun Jers of the Royal Academy. Oddly enough the husbands of both ladies are ARA's though Harold Knight idid not get his until a year after Dame Laura.
Mrs. Proctor's picture "Morning" Jereated a sensation as the saying is, Jwhen exhibited in 1927 and was subsequently bought for the nation. The other new ARA. is Mr. Meredith [Frampton, son of the late Sir George [Frampton, R.A. I see he is exhibiting this year a portrait of Lord William (Cecil, Bishop of Exeter, whom some lof your readers may remember visiting Shanghai about 25 years ago. He is far the handsomest of all the Cecils, fand with his thick curly white hair fand beard is more like the traditional pictures of the Apostle Peter than you would think possible.
Conventionality in Art Apropos of artistic matters, repro-Jductions of several of the pictures in {this year's Paris Salon, which opened last Monday, have appeared in the London Press, and one is struck by their conventionality. "Enfant an violon" might be a sister of Millais's "Bubbles" "The little Workman," a small boy building a toy engine with jan admiring mother and sister looking fon, would have sold by thousands, in steel plate reproduction among Victorian Jandiadies. And "The Lacemakers" suggests an idyllic interior [say by Caldecott or Kate Greenaway, rather than the stark, grinding real ties of Isbour on which art has lately' [biden us concentrate. Please do not think Tam sneering at these, and lather apparently beautiful pictures in the Salon. It i only that one is so Jamazed to find artists putting on canjvae something that bears a real resemblance to the original life as we it"is not the numbers of the' well: todo, but of the small income lass tro throng the shops: And to return {omy oftetal figures, the largest me fence In shop sies Was shown in 'The smallest was in Scotland, Apropos of which have you heard of "Aberdonian' who had given Smoxing, "Beetuse" he sul, "when Tim smoking my" ain' tobacco," freotin' to think of the awful expense when tim smoking another the dom pipes stuffed 0 tight T canna make' it dea St. Paul's Church Yard One district, for centuries the classi-Jeal home of clothiers, -has almost leased to exist as an attractive shop: ping centre, and that is St. Paul's Churchyard: Many readers will re-Imember the large, old store of James ISpence & Ca,, on the north side. The summer before last it decided to Joo into voluntary liquidation, and ever since posters in the windows have——nounced bargain sales before giving Jup business. With the ever increas-jing number of women employed in the City, the smallness of it when lyon actually try walking from end to end, and the popularity of St. Paul's [Churchyard as a lunch time resort, lone would have expected a shop which specially eaters for women to do better. But apparently they prefer to swell Ube suburban' sales mentioned above.
But with the exit of the stores, an extremely interesting innovation comes in. Spence's premises have been taken over by a man who intends to. convert them into flats. If you think of the planning of any large stores for a moment, you will realize how easily. this can be done. This purchaser is quoted by the "Dally "Telegraph" as saying that he is cone lunually' being asked for residential Jquarters in the City, and apart from the Temple, which 1s very dificult to get into, they are hard to find. T have mentioned once or twice this "back to the City" trend, while business pre-Imises in once crowded City streets stand empty, Jand offices' are opened in Mayfair. At this rate, ina generation oF jwe shall be living in the east Jand doing our business in the west.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.