British Empire Exhibition Opened by Kinig: But Show Still Far from Ready Faom Our Own London, April 23, "Wembley opened to-day, or Toast as much of it as was ready, did, There never was any, doubt that it would open in time, but the publicity artists attached to the Exhibition, who are quite the most inefficient that it has ever been my lot meet, doubtless thought it was a great stunt to keep public anticipat fon' keyed up. In that case, it was about the only stunt they ever have thought of, Te will be about June 1 when the Truthful Chronicler will be able to write the Only Reliable Narrative on what the British Exhibition at Wembley really is. 1 doubt when ther any section of the whole coneen, with the possible exception of Canada, had its exhibit ready. to time, "it was the intention of the Exhibition authorities to allow one month between the completion of the Exhibition for the purpose of clearing up and adding finis touches. "It can well be imagined what the state of the grounds. therefore, to-day, when the King started in its course to w successful outcome, as we hope, this vast perial undertaking.
£21,000,000 in Value.
We all hope it. Lloyds oxpectally hope it, since they have guaranteed about" £2,000,000, andi in respect of this outlay, I understand that the receipts are each evening paid over to the officials of the Bank, which has in the grounds a special branch. The Bank is so enthusiastic that it has printed at its own cost stamps colours showing these Bank premises, und alfixes them to all the etter it sandy out. So doubtless hope the purveyors of entertaine ments in the grounds, since they have paid very large sums for the privilege of a monopoly. Yet to-Gay when the Exhibition opened, 1 think 10. per cent, would be! a generous estimate of the side-shows Which were actually ready. Stil, thave is one really. good scenic ral way rqpdy, and this covered up the Fact UMat home of the other shows are only in the initial stages of be~ ing constructed at all.
Te will undoubtedly be a very great Exhibition when ready. They represents, £24,000,000 value. No doubt it does. Or will.
Later on it will be x picturesque aggregation of first-class. exhibite, Tels not the aggregation yet, unless you include those exhibits—and their name is legion,—which ave still in packing cases." Tt is certainly not Picturesque at present, for' there are no leaves on the trees, few flowers in the betis, and some of the turf is only being laid down at this late moment. Of course there have been blunders. I have allude ed to the biggest und worst, the failure in respect of publicity. There ave others, though many of them are ancient: history. Had greater effort. been made and a broader view been taken months ago of the outlook, we should not now be faced with the undoubted fact that half the visitors will consider the opening of the Exhibition would profitably have been delayed for another month.
The Home Exhibits.
It is true that some of the exhibits are fairly complete, more especially the machinery section, Dut many Overseas Departments are greatly in arrear. There have also Been some errors of judgment. A special little theatre was built to reproduce by the employment of electrical power marvellous miniature spectacles of the naval battles of the Into war. It is now discover-that there is not enough power to give the show, at all events for present. There seems, too, to be some doubt as to whether. feeding accommodation is quite adequate, because Messrs.. Lyoris are not doing it well, but because, the principle of open-air cafes is very extensively adopted, and many of: us are not quite accustomed to this sort of thing in our climate. Nor have the roads been adequately pre~ ared, iat all events at' present. Debris of all kinds abounds, though it is quite true that owinis to the great good fortune of 2 bril-Viantly'fine and warm week before the actual opening ceremony, there was little mud about, it is very clear that unless there is caution and provision, the place may very soon provide all the swampy inconveni-fences, which it did on the occasion of the England v. Scotland Football Match. On the opening day, the circular "Never-Stop" railway rather suggested a "Never-start"™ railway, because this had not got going at all, but of all events, there are plenty of means of locomotion when once they are in full use. Something of the kind will he neces wwe the distances are and to see everything you have apparently to walla about
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.