Americanization

One result of shifting the world's money center from Britain to America has been the investment of American funds in London. Formerly British investments in New York brought with them, to some extent, British architecture and social and business customs. Now the shoe is on the other foot, and the invasion of London by the dollar is accompanied by the introduction of American engineering and American habits and customs.

Only within the past two weeks three typical American enterprises --a hotel, a cinema theatre, and a freight subway--have been launched in London.

The new hotel is being built by H. Wardman of Washington; it will cost $2,000,000 and be the only hotel in England to have a bath with each of its 400 rooms.

The new cinema theatre, on the site of London's famous Empire Theatre, will be the largest structure of its kind in England.

But these are minor enterprises compared with the proposed subway, which will cost 160 millions and be the largest system of its type in Europe. About 50,000 men will be employed for three years in its construction. To build and operate this freight subway, the "London Underground Goods Railways" has already been organized by Britons and Americans; required capital will be raised in London and New York.

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