The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-24
IWeek End Gossip From London {
DY N. MAMILTON RHoDES.

5 From LO00On l. BY W. HAMILTON RHoDEA. Y
 London. Oct 23--In opening an ex- hibition of Russian. Industries at the Garden City on behalf of the Relief Fund for Russian Exiles in Siberia, Princess Kropotkin said the Russian Government had always resorted to exile for tne discontented element of the population. but never had the perscutioni been 90 great as since the Constitution was proclaim ed The exfies were now estimated to number S0.oo0. but there were pro- babiy more. Formerly they used to live in towns. but now the Adminis- tration found that too good for them. and they were all sent to small obi iases. where there were only gfteen or twenty. houss for 100 or 1so xilss. It vas impossible for them sometimes to flnd even a. corner of room ,in which to sleep. and they begsed to be allowed to enter the prisons. The condition of life on the material side were terribly sad. and many were verging on starvation
 The Princess had just received . letter from q place where geo men and eight women were exiled. and the village only had thirty-six houses. Tn many of the houses the exiles paid Si50 for .. sleeping corner and they had to sgo about haif-dressed in the bitter cold of winter. It was . terr- ible sight to see them walk along the streets. The English Relief Fund had amounted to @z0,00o in three years, and this. with; other foreign contribu- -tions. was now practically all the assistance the 'exifes received. The distress was more acute now owing to the fact that whereas formerly the exiles were from the intellectual class es who left wealthy people behind them they were now drawn from the poor and destitute working and peasant classes.
 Whenever there is question of the organization of knowledge and the advancement. of learning the British nation appears to be extraordinarily poor. The report of the Committee on the Organization of Oriental studiesstn London is . document remarkable for the light 1t throws upon the poverty or parsimony of Great Britain in re- gard to- matter of firstrate national and Imperial sfgnigcance. Great Bri- tain is directly or indirectly respon- stbie for the Government of India. in- cluding Burma of Egypt. of an Elm pire on the Niger. and of another In East Africa. She has large com mercIal and political dealings with Turkey. with Persia, with China, and with Japan. t3
 Thirty Languages spoken
 Tn these various countries some thirty languages are spoken by large populations. But for the teaching of these thirty languages in London the British nation at the present moment can afford not quite ss.5oe~ .. year. out of which miserable sum are taken the "emoluments" of no less than twenty-five University teachers Ger many has no India. and her Colonies are ot the best in much the same con- dition as the British Protectorates in East Africa. But Germany can afford to spend e5o.o00 a year for the teach ing of Oriental languages at Berlin alone.
 The Loan Exhibition of pictures by Ola Masters which is about to be held at the Grafton Galleries in aid of the National Art Collections Fund, or Of the proposed ''Specisi Reserve Fund of the National Gallery. will be or unusual interest. A strong committee was brought together. we'll. provided with that which the Royal Academy f,aE .e-sr deigned to employ--expert advisers, who know c great deal about the art of tSs past and about the places whence tine examples may pc Thanks to the enorts of these gentlemen and to the kindness of many owners who very rarely lend. some very fine pictures and drawings new to London. and many that gre new to the present generation, VIII bS on view this week. Among them as Lady Cowper's two famous early Mao onnas by Raphael. the gems of the panshanxer collection; the splendid GiorRiouo portrait from Temple News ham, lent by. the Hon. Edward Wood ana never exhibited before; the great GiorEione from the Glssgow Coypora- ton Gallery; Lord. Bute's two Tinto- rets; Sir F. Cooks Filippo Appi; the Hubert Van Eyck from the same col lection: and the exquisite Descent from the Cross" by the Master of the. Bartholomew Altar. also the Tempe Newshana. Lord Darniey sends ms great Rubens; there are. four good Rembrandts: and the Duke of Aber- cron's noble lady by Yandyck, gives dignity to a whole wall. The tnIee works of F. HAls. from the Maurice Kahn collection. are lent by Messrs. Duveen.
 Examples of more recent art are the Dilettanti Society's famous pair of groups. by Sir Joshua Reynolds: two littIe-known Gainsboroughs one of which comes from Lord Listowel; and two small portraits by the same hand from the collection of Lord Iveagh. Mir. Heseltine has filled near iy. the whole of the fourth room with an unrivalled collection of French drawings. from Fouduet down to the end of the 18th century. with Clardes and watteaus such as exist nowhere else, except in the Louvre. "
 The Golden west.
 America, in "The Golden West at Earps court has had fine exhibition of it's products and industries In the face of a record bad English summer and the attendance from all parts mas been almost unprecedented. On the last day of the Exhibition the famous band of the Royal Garrison Artillery tPiymouth). under the conductorsnip of. Mir R. c. Exams, contributed programe of music, and Goughun's i2th Regiment Band tNationai Guard, New Yorix) also gave special selections Caiisornia's splendid display In the Imperial. Court, of fresh. ripe fruit was replenished daily. and was eargerly'S sought after by small and large buyers. The Red Man was also great. one for the English.
 The battle royal which Is at pre- sent in progress betwen certain erst- while leaders of English Society and the euterprising American women whose wealth and attractive personal