Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-07
No FAITH IN LEOPOLD
Sovereign Trying to Throw
Dust With His Reforms.
PART OF ABBEY C0LLAPSES
Interior Masonry Of Famous West
minister Being Repaired.
ASCOT MEETING BRILLIANT
Smart Throngs Crowd the Royal In
closure-The Longworths Present
Valuable Paintings Stolen.

|
The opinion is becoming more and more
| firmly rooted that the recent reform de-
crees' signed by King Leopold as sovereign
of the Congo State represent only another
attempt to throw dust in the eyes of
| Europe. The criticism to which the fruit
| of the labors of the commission of inquiry
| and the reform committee has been sub
| jected in Great Britain without distinc-
! ton as to political parties dispels, at any
/ rate one fear which, l have reason to be-
| lieve was entertained in Congo reform
| circles prior to the publication of the de-
| crees ten days ago. Gradually public opin-
| ion had been wrought up to a high pitch of
| indignation by successive revelations of
| the inherent rottenness of the Congo sys-
| tenn of administration. The measure of
| reform sanctioned by King Leopold has
| been found to possess not even the merit
| of plausibility. Some of the worst features
Of the present system remain unmodided.
| But apart from criticisms respecting the
| inadequacy of the reforms, suspicious as
| to the value of even the changes that are
| introduced on paper into the Congo sys-
! tenn OF administration have been given liv-
! Ing force by the circumstances attending
the PRONUNCIATION of the DEGREES. With all
his Subtlety the sovereign of the indepen-
dent state has not been able to refrain
! from 1nfusing into letters which accom-
panied the DEGREES evidence of spirit of
absolutfsm and of a determination not to
admit that anything is radically wrong with
the Congo system of rule.
No better means could have been de-
vised of weakening faith in the practical
value of the new DEGREES and the unfavor-
able impression thus created has been
strengthened by the publication of the cor
respondence which had lately passed be-
tween the foreign office and the Congo gov
eminent showing not only the persistency
with which the latter has refused to publish
the evidence laid before the commission
Of inquiry. but the attitude taken up by
M. de Cavelier respecting the rights OF the
powers under the Berlin act.
Repairs to Westminster.
American visitors to London will be dis
appointed at seeing Westminster Abbey in
the hands Of the builders scaffold has
been erected all along the north side of the
nave, the side exposed to view from ParIia-
ment Square, and the ancient building
might be a new office block Just going
up as far as looks are concerned
A sudden collapse of portion OF the ex-
terror masonry illustrates the fresh Difficult
ties which beset the custodians of this his
torical fabric. material less fitted for
constant exposure to a London atmosphere
than the Caen stone employed by the early
builders of the abbey could hardly be
found.
More than FIVE hundred years ago Ed
ward ", writing to Pope Sixtus, referred
TO the Monastery Church OF Westminster
consecrated by st. Peter himself, famous
, for the tomb of the sainted king and con-
fessor. founded and built. though not yet
completed, by our ancestors as now
decayed by lapse OF time and almost on the
point of ruin. When the Norman and
Plantagenet workmen had any trouble in
obtaining Caen stone they fell back upon
English stone most closely resembling it.
and Sir Christopher Wren. under whose
direction the work of repair made a good
n he roll of
often waxed wroth at the short-sighted-
ness of his prototypes In a report dated
July, lib, he spoke warmly of the state
of the outside walls. Having pointed out
that the stone was decayed four inches
deep and was falling off perpetually in
great scales, he censured strongly those
senseless artificers from Normandy" who
used Reigate stone as being the nearest
like their own Caen stone, that would
saw and work like wood, but is not dur
able" SO that the whole fabric is now
disfigured In the highest degree"
The amount of money that has been spent
In repairing Westminster Abbey Is simply
fabulous. The practice of setting aside a
"prebends share''-one-fifteenth of the an
which was adhered to until the handing
over of the estates to the ecclesiastical
commissioners, was introduced by Dean
Dolben as far back as 1862. 1t was soon
found. however, that the total thus made
available was inadequate. and In 1897 an
act Of parliament was passed ordering that
one-sixth OF the coal duty should be an
nually assigned for the repair of the abbey.
In the time of Queen Anne, when the coal
duty increased, 1t was directed that $4,000
($2o,OOO year should be devoted to the
work of restoration. Further grants,
amounting in the aggregate to $4,000.
were made between 1909 and 1922 and
when the estates were afterwards trans
ferred to the ecclesiastical commissioners
lump sum of 100000 was handed over
/ to the abbey for substantial repairs In
1881, however. repOrt Of a
character was presented by the architect
that five years later act was passed
authorizing the ecclesiastical commissioners
| to make an additional grant of R1000O
while in 1888 another chapter was added to
! the statue book setting apart G3,2 $50 an
| nually and suspending one OF the canonries
Ascot Race Meeting.
| The great race meeting at Ascot opened
! this week in splendid weather. 1t was
warm and sunshiny. and there was prob
| ably never on the first day a larger or
more brilliant gathering on the heath. The
| crowd at Ascot is the most select gathering
| OF what is called society, with the doubtful
| exception of Goodwood, that is to be seen
at any race meeting. Though the queen
| and nearly all the ladies of the royal house
| did not attend, the king was present, but
| wood In respect OF the dresses of the
! women. 1t is the first great summer festi-
/ val OF the season, and the crowd on the
heath Is the best dressed that could be
! found anywhere. On fine day 1t affords
one Of the prettiest sights that can be
| imagined The most select part of the
/ heath is, OF course, the royal Enclosure,
! the invitations to which are issued under
| the direction of the king, and which are
keenly sought after. The scene within the
| inclosure. where there were hundreds Of
ladies in the most superb summer cos
tunes. was very brilliant. Among the
visitors this week have been Mr.. and Mrs.
Longworth. who drove down In motor
and they had the opportunity of Witness
ing typical gathering of English society
/ For thereup day the king took with him
large party of distinguished gentlemen.