The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-29
POSSESS FINE SENSE
IN AFFAIRS OF ART
~ Ia nAnau1sE DE roNrENoY.

ny Ia nIARauIsE DE EoNTENoY.
LTHOUGH no mention that can
n recall has ever been made about
~ the matter In sketches of King
George and Queen Mary, yet
both OF them, and the King in partic-
ular. possess very sound sense in
affairs of art. far more So. indeed.
than any other member of the royal
family. with the exception of their
aunt. Princess Louise, Duchess Of
Argyll. During the early days of their
marriage, which took place near elgh-
teen year ago. they restricted their
purchases of paintings TO those of
young artists whose names We're at
that time almost wholly unknown. but
who now have Forged TO the front, and
who are at present among the lead
ing and most successful wielders of
the brush. In fact, thanks TO the
discrimination of King George while
the buying of pictures, the paintings
which he thus acquired arc now more
than tenfold in market value what he
paid for them The King has been
equally fortunate with regard TO pieces
of sculpture and artistic bric-a- brac.
and whereas his father was wont 70
rely In such AFFAIRS upon his equerry,
the late General Sir Arthus Ellis, who
possessed the knowledge of profess
sionaI expert in these things, King
George has always been content to
depend upon his own taste and upon
that OF Queen Mary
/ may add that whereas his father
was wont 70 select pieces of jewelry.
jeweled cigar cases and similar objects
for his Christmas gifts to brother
sovereigDs. and to royal and imperial
relatives abroad, the Yuletide presents
dispatched to foreign courts by George
". have been mainly English paintings
and pieces of sculpture.
All sorts of pressure is being brought
to bear upon the King and upon the
Change III the locality designated
for the scene Of the great cor
onation purbar in India. Just, twelve
hence. 1t is urged that Cal
cutta after all is the metropolis Of
the great Indian empire, and the seat
of Che government, while the city is
SO large that there would be no din
Guilty whatsoever in housing the great
influx of Indian vassal rulers, princes
and dignitaries. as well as ell the
great British mobiles who intend to be
present at this ceremony, without
parallel or precedent in modern times.
1t is argued that Delhi Is now little
more than a city of ruins, that as far
as England's domination of India is
its principal associations
are connected with the great Sepoy
mutiny of 1851, which 1t is both un-
wise and unpleasant to recall; and
that the accommodation there Is OF
such a restricted character that al
the two former Durbars held there.
the first when the late Earl Lytton.
as Viceroy, proclaimed queen Victoria
as Empress of India, and the other IN
1903, when Lord Curaon proclaimed
King Edward as Kaisr-i-Hlnd, a whole
vast city of tents had to be erected
at enormous expense; tents which
would in the event of inclement
weather. have become well nigh un-
In spite Of all these objections King
and is bent upos holding his
Durbar, in person with the
Queen, at Delhi: for he realizes that
whereas the associations of Calcutta
n the native mind are entirely, OF
modern character and connected with
he British rule of the last hundred |
ears or so, Delhi is Identified In the
eyes of his 300,00o,o0O of dusky lieges
II Hindustan. with memories of their
most glorious episodes Of their national
history going back thousands of years
BY holding his Durbar at Delhi he APP
,eals to native sentiment In way
lold 1T at Calcutta. and he emphasizes
n the native heart the fact that he IS
heir own Kaisr-i-Iind. another OF the
great Emperors Of India, who re1gned
,ver E[industan from the sacred city
# Delhi, rather than a monarch of an.
lien dynasty, and the representative
# the foreign conquest of India.
1t is understood that King George
It the Durbar Will appear, when he
'eceives the homage of the vassal
ulers and feudatory princes of India.
lot in the mere uniform of a field
but arrayed In his coronation
obes, declted with the crown Jewels,
With the crown on his head, and in his
land the sceptre, from which will II
azzle the greatest diamond In the
World the five hundred and odd carat
tar of Africa. 1t will be the first oc-
ne England, and representing as they
o q value of many, many millions
t pounds sterling, the most eNtraor-
mary precautions will be adopted for
heir safety in transit between the
over Of London, where they they now re-
In thus arraying himself in the
rown jewels at the Durbar King
eorge Is prompted, not by any mere
esire of personal display--for he is
man of the most simple tastes
ut because he appreciates the inn
he natives Of every class and creed
Y appearing before them wearing that
.oh-i- Moor, which for many centuries
ras the symbol of empire. and Of
lpreme power in India, and for the
AXE of Which civil wars. appalling
terrible invasions, conspira-
les demonstrations and hideous tor
lace. Probably there Is no precious
In the world that has a more
Iood stained history than the koh-ir
DOR, which came into the possession II
fthe late Queen Victoria some seventy
ears ago.
According to Legend, before figuring
J the principal crown Jewel of the
l-t,- & / & II Y u