5 JUNE 1926, Page 11

An American friend who has been staying at an old-

fashioned London hostelry popular with transatlantic visitors said to me, " I do not mind about running water in the rooms and other so-called improvements. What I enjoy over here is the civility of your hotel staffs and the attention we receive and the honesty. To give you an instance. Yesterday I was buying some things and I gave the hall-porter what I thought was a £5 note to pay for them on arrival. A few minutes later he handed me the change and the receipted bill and an unused £5 note ! Apparently two £5 notes had stuck together. This is the kind of treatment which makes us feel at home."