Meeting England’s Great Luminaries
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iscount Northcliffe’s Memorable Luncheon Punctuated withBrilliant Speeches—Magazine Men and Newspaper PublishersCalled Together by Lord Northcliffe to Get Acquainted withSome of the Great Minds Active in World War Affairs. ISCOUNT NORTHCLIFFE stood inan anteroom of the big banquet hallof the historic Times building andshook hands with each guest, callingmany by name, although he had seenus but once before. Then we were direct-Wo 68 ed to the cloak room and next to thedining hall. At the entrance to the latter was aneasel upon which stood an immense diagram of the tables.My heart leaped into my mouth as I read that I wasplaced next Rudyard Kipling. From its hour of servingit was called a luncheon, but it proved to be a feastworthy of Lucullus. We met here the first or magazineparty who had just returned from France and the fight-ing fronts and were to return to America in a few days,the Viscount having planned thus pleasantly to bringus together. When we were seated around the festiveboard, a panoplied butler, a sort of major domo, stoodbehind our titled host, who sat in a throne-like chair atthe head of the table. Each event was announced withprofound formality as follows:“My Lords and Gentlemen: I beg you give ear andlisten to Viscount Northcliffe.”And again:
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