Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-23
His Initial Appearance in the
House of Lords.
ATTRACTIVE PERSONALITY
Shows His Grasp of the Whole
Eastern Situation.
LONDON'S NEW COUNTY HALL
Design Has Brought Into Promi-
nence a Heretofore Almost Un-
known Young Architect.
Special Co-respondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
LONDON. February 10. 1905.
The central dramatic figure at West
minister Thursday was Lord Curzon. 4
splendid audience assembled in the house
of lords. dignified and brilliant setting
for such episode. to hear the ex-
viceroy's comprehensive Indictment OF the
government policy in Asia. The benches
on the floor of the chamber were crowd
ed with distinguished and famous people.
In the enCircling galleries overhead sat
rows OF illustr.ous ladies. including the
Princess of Wales. whose sable plumes
and somber rich apparel were sudden
reminder in the midst OF that ornate as
sembly of PortugaNs royal tragedy. With
in the golden rail round the steps or the
throne stood a number OF commoners
Among them. his companionable red tie
conspicuous note in the general color
scheme. as he leaned forward intently
with hands clasped on the rail, none other
than that once tribune Of the people. now
turned beneficent autocrat Of India, MI
John Morley.
Lord Curzon addressed the house from
the table. His striking speech, enlivened
by the orators ess antial art OF cadence
and gesture. commanded attention alike
by its absolute and intimate knowledge OF
the subject, and by its earnest and su-
high office he has filed in India has be-
slowed on Lord CurZon an almost regal
dignity. His manner was perfect, his ap-
pearance arresting, and altogether one
could well picture him bearing worthiy
the honors of any state occasion, even
amid the exotic ceremonial of the lei
sured east. The clean-cut delicate patri-
clan features never lost their set COM
posture. and yet his face was ever full OF
intelligence and expression. The utmost
that the most eXacting critic would have
urged against his appearance was the
curiously Victorian touch impaired ~
the habit of wearing slight side whiskers.
which certainly, in Lord Curzons case.
detracts from remarkably fine profile.
He spoke we'll and with amazing fiuency.
and condemned the treaty with Russia az
giving too much to that country to tho
sacrifice of British interests. This was
Lord Curzon's debut in the house or
lords.
New County Hall.
Some time ago I wrote about the COM
petitive designs for London's new county
hail. The design which has been accepted
is that Of Mr.. Ralph Knott. Londoner
of only twenty mine and almost unknown.
He suddenly captures a fee OF f34.000 by
his good luck. Mr. Knots design. winch
is now on view along with those OF the
other twentythree selected architects in
the great competition in the Medical Hall
point those who looked for something
snowy and tall to rise from the Thames
side. He has neither used dome nor
cupola to lift his skyIine-only heche
| with a ship as final that rises rather
| meagerly over the principal feature. ana
would be better away. and tall chimney
stacks that are also rather fretful.
His water front depends chiefly on the
bold projection OF two towers Joined to-
gether by a loggia OF Ionic columns.
with an arcaded basement. giving a menu
bers' terrace Of about 40 feet deep and 1OO
| feet long. the public way going through
| the arcade. This terrace is about third OF
the entire length of the facade. By this
device an effect of dignity and grace 10
very simply attained. His design diners.
| too. from the others in his double row or
attic windows, which. of course, will be
an economy. The basement. and lower
story are rusticated, and the upper efo-
ries are in plain stone. Some resemblance
| to Somerset House can be traced In this
| and in the character Of the windows In
| the necessarily long terrace and IN the
ornamental water gates in front OF the
towers that project over the stairs. The
architect has accepted the long, straight
front. and gets his effect by the addition
| of the useful loggia and broad. spacious
water stairs.
Great Central Chamber.
Mr.. Belcher. the second-best designer.
on the other hand. has got very great
dignity by breaking the line with project
ing bays and recesses. thus cutting the
front rooms into various shapes and sizes
that are less suitable for a public build
ing Mr.. Knott has simply kept his front
rooms Of almost one uniform size. His
plan, too, is very simple. the buildings
| being grouped around four long courts.
His "surprise"-each of the competitors
has, of course, ''surpriSe"- is the Cir
cular hall, which stands alone, but gets
into a sharp crescent cut in the center OF
his Belvidere road front. The conditions
specified the council chamber and a
similar hall. and in the sketch plan sent
cut. the latter was shown at the end or
that front. Nearly all the other competi-
tors seem to have taken this as an In
struction. but Mr.. Knott gets & very orig
inal effect out of the central position and
the drive round ii and the porte cochere"
that faces the main buildings. The flaws
in the design seem 20 be the two corri-
doris the depth of the building, that have
40 light. and the lack of lobby at the
council chamber and the fieche and stacks.
Another Dramatized Book.
1.-The Beloved Vagabond." as played at
His Majesty's Theater this week. retains
few of the virtues of the book and has
many alterations. The melodrama. which
is only limited at I'm the book. Is enlarged
and absorbs the whole OF the first act.
while the character drawing. which Is the
charm of the story. loses its significance
IN the rough embodiments OF Mr. Locke's
ideal creations Clearly enough, the at
traction OF the play for Mr.. Tree was In
the opportunity it afforded him OF once
again displaying his art in bizarre COM
edy: but the role of Berzelius Nibbidard
Paragot the beloved vagabond. really
gives him little scope for the exhibition
Of his art, of depicting grotesque char
acter.
His Paragot is a sort of Svengali grown
respectable and all the time one feels
aware that the erstwhile aristocrat is
conscious of playing a part as the social
pariah and brilliant tippler OF the Cafe
Delphine. 1.-The Beloved Vagabond" Is
only another illustration Of the futility OF
making plays out OF novels, especially
when they depend almost entirely for
their artistic value, not on acting. but the
gradual development of character and on
the charm of their literary style.
L. II. MOORE.
Emperor Williams Talisman