THE VICTORIA MEMORIAL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18267, 29 December 1924, Page 11

THE VICTORIA MEMORIAL.

TO Tltn EDITOR OF "THE TEKSS." Sir—With your permission I wish to thank your correspondents, Messrs G. Humphreys and C. E. Jones, as -well as another friend who replied to me privately, for the very interesting information they have afforded in answer to my letter in your columns on the nt'ovp subject recently. There eecms to be some diversity of opinion, however, between your forresponderit 3 as regards the prominence of the inscription which the difference in the dates of their inspection will not explain. Mr Humphreys's visits were apparently subsequent, to those of Mr Jones, but while the latter says ou the foot, of o.Tch (referring to' the statues composing the special group of nt'atuary'i is inscribed in gilt letters. Gift of New Zealand," Mr Humphreys says "the inscription is in such small letters and so inconspicuously plared 3' q render it completely unnoticed by the passer-by not keenly interested in search of the giver's name." and so strongly did he feel this that, he pointed it out to a Dominion official before leaving England in hopes of getting the defect remedied. Be this as it, may, it is some satisfaction to know that this acknowledgment, however belaled and obscure, has i been permanently recorded. The friend who communicated with me privately informed me that when he visited the Memorial in 1914, for the special purpose of seeing the representation of New Zealand's contribution thereto, there was nothing whatever to indicate it, though when tie ' saw it, again in 1922 he was well satisfied with the correction of the omission : in the meantime. This statement, read in conjunction with those of your correspondents, shows, I think, that . there was great, ilaxity on the part of . JCew Zealand's representatives in London, including those who attended the Imperial Conferences in the interval between 1909 and 1914, in not insisting on equal prominence for our loyalty to the memory of Victoria tho Good. My impression is that it was only after the war, when Sir James Allen went to England, that the omission was rectified, though as early as 1909 I drew the attention of the then Agent-General or High Commissioner to it, as well as through your reprcsen- J tativo in your columns. 1 do not suggest that the matter is of any outstanding historical importance, but tho question having been raised, it would be highly interesting, I think, if photo- | graphs of tho entire Memorial, showing ! ISew Zealand's special contribution to it, could be printed in your contempor- \ ary, tho "Weekly Press." Trusting that you will use your good offices in this direction, and so put me under additional obligation to you.—Yours, etc., EDWAKD G. LEVItfGE, M.B. December 26th, 1924,