The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-11
HER MAJEsTY's CHOCOLATE.
Everybody Approves Queen Victoria $
 Idea of Suitable Gift to an Army.

| Everybody Approves Queen Victoria $ Idea of Suitable Gift to an Army. The announcement of the gracious act of Her Majesty in deciding to present to each soldier and sailor in South Af- rica specially designed box containing half a pound of chocolate has aroused widespread interest. Conversation in train tram, and bus in London and other cities has shown that the mother ly thought that prompted this act so sympathetic, timely, and generous, has
 been recognized. It has called forth
 many thousand expressions of respect
 and loyalty from the people to the Sow
 ereign. Last night we were officially
 informed by the Secretary of War that
 it is her Majesty's intention to include
 the men of the naval contingents and
 of the colonial forces in South Africa
 among the recipients of the gift. In
 fact, every man under arms in South
 Africa will receive a present--a personal
 link between Sovereign and subject
 Curiosity has been piqued by the an-
 nouncement of the Queens present. Our
 Bristol correspondent yeterday learned
 from one of the members of the we'll
 known firm of chocolate makers, Messrs.
 J. s. Fry & Sons, that two or three
 weeks ago Sir Arthur Bigge, on behalf
 of the Queen, communicated with Mr.
 R. A. Fry, one of the Directors at the
 London factory, respecting the royal gift. It was estimated that in all nine
 ty-thousand half-pound tins would be
 required; or total of twenty tons of
 the best vanilla chocolate. Messrs. J.
 s. Fry & Sons were first communicated
 with, as they are her Majesty's royal
 warrant holders, but it was decided to divide this huge order for chocolate be- tween the three leading firms of J. S. Fry & Sons of Bristol; Cadbury Broth CTS of Birmingham and Rowntree of York.
 A representative of that firm smiled at the question whether such quantity of chocolate as six or seven tons could be prepared at their British factories. The chocolate will be made at Bristol in few days but the more important question is the privision of specialS designed decorated tins in which the chocolate will be nclosed. The firm has in store an immense variety of highly artistic productions, the dies for which take several weeks to produce, but her Majesty required a special design which would make the decorated tin an object of value in itself, well worth preserving as a souvenir of a very exceptional oc- casion. Accordingly Messrs. Fry & Sons applied to their box designers and | manufacturers Messrs, Barclay & Fry of Southwark Street, London. That | firm prepared d design, embiazoned m a card, with a furnished red ground | In the centre of the cover of the ,in | there will be a gift medallion of the Queen, and tn design will include the royal monogram in red, white, and blue, and the words, prominently engraved, | South Africa, 1900' The design WIS submitted to and approved by her Ma jesty, and, although the great order has been distributed among thrae firns-- Messrs. Hendson, Scott X Sons; Carlisle, Barringer of Mansfield; and, of course, Barclay & Fry of London-the design for the tins will be uniform They will be specimens of the highest style of this class of work, productions that will be valued far above their actual cost, which, it is stated, will not ba less than