The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-04
FORTUNE TEL[ERS PREDICT DISASTER Say Fire Will Interfere With Coronation EDWARDS MEMORIAL Seems Destined Not to Be Built in London-Turkish Syndicate
 Seeks to Purchase
 Ships
By PHILLIP EVERETT

By PHILLIP EVERETT London, June 3.-(Specia) )--London
 has any number of fortune tellers,
 more or less illustrious some of them
 with very expensive offices in the heart of the fashionable shopping district. ard one of them has created stir by prophesying that a fire in the West minister Abbey Is to interfere with the coronation of King George. Officially, 1 Of course, nothing has been said about
 the> fortune teller's prophecy, but fact | is that 1t was repeated all over London and finally made itself heard in the | House of Commons, when several mem
 bars questioned the government as to
 what steps had been taken to protect
 the Abbey against the danger of fire
 as result two special firemen were
 placed on duty there night and day,
 whereupon the government in due time
 replied that every possible precautfon
 had been taken. As matter of fact
 the most famous building in London
 would undoubtedly be totally destroyed
 should fire break out, and the danger
 Is ever present The interior which has
 been closed to the public for many
 weeks is now full of lumber and shay
 fngs while outside are many wooden structures many stories high where I | have repeatedly seen carpenters smol :,
 ing while at work
 | Should fire break out while the cor
 oration is actually going on 1t is al-
 most certain that the number of victims would be appalling.
 | As the late King Edward was never l very fond of London and spent as much of his time as he possibly could away rom his capital, there is nothing very strange in the fact. that an evil fate seems to be pursuing those who are endeavoring to build him a memorial | in this city
 The longer the committee of the King Edward Memorial Fund sit the greater | the muddle in which they become in- vowed. Having decided on a statue, | they cannot find suitable spot for | II. one of three spots is now suggested --Iraflaga square. or one of two situ- atlons in Hyde park, to all of which the committee respectfully record, there
 may be objections. The fact is, there
 are really very few places in London suitable for monument, and even if
 desirable spot is found the climate will soon ruin the appearance of
 statue. Most of the stone memorials of
 this city are either receptacles for soot
 or dirt. or else the home of sparrows
 and pigeons, which is certainly not
 an edifying end for memorial to Edward the peacemaker
 If the committee should try to com
 municate with the late Kings spirit,
 through William T. Stead's or some other reliable mediumistic bureau and
 asked 1t where 1t would prefer to
 see statue of the Kings mortal fig ure erected. 1t is ten to one that the spirit would answer with a merry
 twinkle Outside the Jockey Club in Paris"
 King George is evidently a more pi-
 ous person than his late father for
 while every preacher who had the honor or preaching to King Edward was al-
 ways admonished that under no cir cumstances must he occupy the puIpit Tor more than ten minutes; King George has just intimated that the
 chaplains of the Royal household. from
 whom the preacher for the morning
 service is usually selected that their
 sermons may be 1engthier than they
 Wore during the late reign. An inti-
 nation of this kind practically amounts
 to command. and now the churchgo-
 CTS of London are afraid that preachers
 in general will follow the hint. Turkish syndicate Is at present operating in Liverpool for the purchase of ships for the merchant service of
 Constantinople.
 It appears that an exceptional de- mand for ships has arisen through the Turkish boycott of the Greeks.
 patriotic company has been formed at Constantnople with the object of conserving the Turkish trade interests by conhning as much trade as possi-
 ble to Turkish owned vessels, hence
 the demand for good secondhand Brit ish ships.
 The new company's representatives in Liverpool have purchased the Je- rome from the Booth line and the Duke of York. and the Duke of Lan- caster, belonging to the Lancashire and Yokshire Railroad company, as
 well as two other vessels from Avon
 mouth. The syndicate hopes to effect
 the purchase of 20 ships before next September.
 | Some large insurances are being off cred to the companies and members of
 Lloyd's on jewels to be worn by Indian
 Princes attending the coronation. | One insurance for $425,000 has just been completed. and in another case
 the value of the property is between
 $1,o00,000 and $1.500,000. In some in-
 stances the risks covered are those of transit to and from India and that of burglary during the owners stay | in London, part of the arrangement being that the jewels shall be stored
 in strong rooms when not in use. in
 others it is only proposed to cover the l risks of transit.
 l Numerous inquiries for rates have
 been made, but the premiums do not, | in all cases. meet the views of the
 owners, and therefore, few policies have | been actually issued.
 | London is practically the only mar l Ira at xx,h riSks ha rla j