The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-07-21
MOVE BACKED BY
PROMINENT MEN
Educative and Promotive Char.
acter of Affair Will Be Care
fully Protected Against En-
croachments of Entertain
ments and Amuse.
ments.
tspoclal to The Tlmes-pispa,.b.

"No''' July -v.-Ihe newest phase
OF the imperiaiistic trend in England
40 seen IN the determination to hold
an Imperial Exposition In London IN
40. large committee. OF which
LORD Steathcona is chairman. has
,aken up the project and subscrib I'd
S-v'Vvv towards guarantee fund OF
ftvp'vvv. Although the minimum O.
TINS fund is placed at $4,000. 1t al
hoped that It VIII reach S25O.OOO The
i.oya! colonial Institute Is back ng
ihe enterprise, which has already
taken such definite shape that a con.
tract has been made with the owners
o; Earls Court for the use OF The
buildings and grounds for the expo
Sit"n The committee in charge now
numbers l6z and includes the Duke Of
Marlborough. the Earl Of Carrick Earl
81 perbT Earl OF Plymouth. Earl OF
Selhorne. N!scount Hin. Lord Avebury.
Lord Desborough. Lord Furness Lord
Lexington. Lord Pirrie sir Becrbohn
Tree Sir James Dewar. Sir Gilbert
Parker, and many members OF Par
hamcnt At 4 meeting held Wednes-
day' AZ which SIR PETER Canzius van
Blomeste.n, who was chairman OF
the South African Exhibition IN
1907. presided reports showed that
nigh commissioners and agents In AN
the English dominions were cooper
ai!ng with tho committee ia preparing
10 make the exhibition success so
large amount VIII be spent in build
inss. the Intention of the committee
being 20 devote most OF tho money coll
leeted to gathcrlng such wealth Of
products u an parts OF the Empire
as TO make the display Thoroughly rec
preventative. The central idea o, the
enterprise IS described as an Imperial
stocktaking.' Entertainments and
amusements Will uot be CARED but
the educat.ve ANA promot!ve character
OF the exposition WAL be carefully
protected against such entertainments
Every effort Will be made TO bring
large numbers OF the Inhabitants Of
the various sections OF the Empire
together IN soc.a. way go as to
make them better acquainted and bet
ter appreciate and understand each
other. y comprehensive prospectus cf
the exposition IS now being pre- pared
70 be submitted ~ the oversee gov
ernments with the view u obtaiuius
their o-operatlou.
one great feature Of the exposition
viii he historic Illustration of the
progress OF Ihe Empire a. home and
abroad ~ Industry and science The
various exhibits VIII show the adj
va-ccs ia land and sea methods uf
travel. and 10 steam ,raihr and elcct-
communications The prospect Of rails
Ing the guarantee fund 70 protect me
eNAibitors and managers against boss
is Particularly bright. especially since
the contribution u Lord Strathcol.4
was ANNOUNCED
Enthusiusticnll! Taken Up.
The proposal that the nation pur-
chase Tor the municipality OF London
SIR Lawrence Alma IaGema wonder
house, 1t 81 Grove End Road st
johns Wood. has hcei. taken up en-
Enthusiastically ~ the press and the
public. The house enjoys International
fame since the publication Of "Tilby.'
in which X is described by )u Magrlei
as the home OF great classic artist
where Little Billee' made frequent
visits. The house is really extraordl-
rary ana the last thing that would be
expected in The heart of a. thlckly pom
ulaicd section OF the city. II IL most
suitablo as q public show place because
OF its educational value for the de-
velopment II popular artistic Instinct
The house is filled with exquisite OBJ
/ jects OF art. many Of which were gifts
To the dead artis tf.om his artist
fi.ends Leighton House. witch was
the residence of "a famous painter. who
/ died some years ago. Was retained as
a public monument and affords a pre-
/ ccdent in this connection. but the
! Anna -Tadema house IS in every way
more desirable. y shady pergola tiled
/ den from the gate TO the front door.
which is OF carved wood and is sur
rounded by deep bronze relief The
I entrance 10 the hall IS designed I'm
/ Nma-Tadema's well known colassic
style the floors OF Persian tiles. IN.
walls cleaning white and the stair.
case of highly polished brass. Tho
white walls are relieved bv panels
painted in brilliant colors by Alma :
Tadema's friends. including leighton
and Sargent. Each panel is nttle
! masterpiece, lovingly conceived to
suit its place and fall into the gen
! eral scheme or beauty. Around the
hall are various wondcr-rooms ano OF
which is filled with choice treasures
from China and Japan III the contra
Of the structure is a balcony over
looking "A marble basin where ii bab
bling fountain cools the atmospherc
/ From this reproduction OF Roman
| impluvium passage leads to a room
in which new country and new age
appear. Here are leather covercd walls
of Dutch design and old cabinets and
brasses of fine Netherlands workman.
ship, which create an atmosphere Of
tie old Dutch school OF painters. The
studio. which is the most beautiful
Ct the many beautiful rooms has walls
Of gray and green marble. a ceiling
shmmerine with tho gray Iustre OF
aluminium leaf inlay. marvellous hang
Tags from many looms and marnincen,
stained glass windows designed hy
John La Fargo. Despite the magni1-
oencc OF materials and their elaborate
designs the house is mover grandiosc
and never overwhelms with a sense
OF palaciousness. Its beauty ii rather
of the intimate, sympathetic sort and
the adjective delightful has been Sc
loctcd by critics as best describing il
Though never giving the impression
OF a museum, 1t is stored from the en-
trance to the roof with art treasures
from all over Europe. Asia and other
countries. so disposed that no note al
mconEruity or inharmoniousness (:
ever struck. 1t seems settled that tn,
house Will be sold at al early date foi
the benefit of the Alma Tadema estate
81 tho nuestion ariscs n: 10 whether. Il