THE OVERSEAS LEAGUE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18511, 23 March 1922, Page 4

THE OVERSEAS LEAGUE

NEW LONDON HEADQUARTERS. The remarkable growth of the Overseas Club movement during its 11 years of progress will be familiar to many of our readers. For some time members of the Overseas Club and Patriotic League—to give it its full title—the world over have contributed to the ' Overseas War Memorial Fund, whose object is to provide in the heart of the Empire a building dedicated to the men from overseas, tone devoted to the British subjects from across the seas for all time, and to draw closer in the bonds of comradeship British subjects in ah parts of the world. A few months ago the Central Council of the league, after negotiations extending ever eome weeks, signed a contract to purchase from the Dowager Lady Hillingdon, Vernon House, Park place Sc. James’s one of the historic mansions of London, tor tits mnm of £45,000 freehold. It desired to find a building in the heart of the West End of London —if possible, in Clubland—which worild provide accommodation for the headquarters staff of the society and its many activities, and would enable it to offer to members visiting London premises equal to thoee of any of tbe long-established dubs. Vernon House ’ exactly suits these requirements. Vernon House, which was officially opened by the Duke of York on" February 2 last, overlooks the Green Park, and is situated at tbe end of Pork place, which is one of the turnings on the left side of St. James's street, going towards Piccadilly. It possesses a little garden adjoining the park, and is less than a minute’s walk from Piccadilly and tbe Bits Hotel. If ell ■London had been searched a more ideally situated building for the purpose could not have been found. Vernon House may be said to hove alreadv been more or lees associated with imperial affairs, for it .was occupied during the last few years of his life by Lord William Bentinck, the first Governor-general of India, whose administration must be regarded as an important era in the history of Indian progress. After Lord William Bentinck’s death tbe house passed into the hands of Lord Redesdale, the son of Sbeaker Mitford,, afterwards first Lord Redeedala and Lord Chancellor of Ireland. The Lord Redesdale of Vernon House was Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords from 1851 until his death in 18S6. In that year Vernon House was purchased by the firs* Lord Hillingdon, a well-known Danker, of the firm of Glyn, Mills, Currie, and Co., who lavished vast sums upon its interior decorations and made it one of the most beautiful houses in London. Here, after eleven and a-half years’ work, the Overseas Club and Patriotic League possesses its own home, worthy of Ha world-wide activities and an outward symbol of the great position this brotherhood of service occupies in the Empire’s oouhsels. Every member of the society across the seas can now feel that he, or she, owns a piece of old London. From the worldly standpoint the new headquarters will silence the sceptics who thought that the dub organisers were well-intentioned cranks destined to bitter disappointment and that the Overseas Club would never “make good.’’ To some money talks, or rather money s worth. In entering upon possesion of one of the great houses of the West End cf London the Overseas League speaks in a language which all can understand, and proclaims the fact that it has emerged from its strenuous veers of youth to man’s estate, and is now in an impregnable position and ready for the great tasks of Empire service which await it.