THE WAR MUSEUM AND THE CRYSTAL PALACE.
[To 711E EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sm,—The threatened removal of 'the War Museum to reduced space emboldens me to put in a word for the Museum and its present quarters. Many thousands of visitors to the Crystal Palace must have found it extremely interesting and that one visit was quite inadequate for its full inspection. When one considers the energy and care which must have been expended to get together and arrange such a collection, it seems deplor- able that its complete dispersal should have been even sug- gested. The pictures alone are extraordinarily valuable as depicting the greatest war so far known, and surely in the future they must inevitably become of great historical value. The Crystal Palace would appear to be almost an ideal building for housing the greater part of the Museum (espe- cially the larger exhibits); although it is obvious that really valuable and easily removable articles might have to go to South Kensington for safety. Hence it is regrettable to hear that the Palace, which, after all, is a unique national posses- sion, is not considered suitable. But in any case the nation has no money at the present time for building. Would it not be possible for some arrangement or amalgamation (if only temporary) to be come to between the Crystal Palace Trustees and the War Museum authorities? As regards income, were the grounds to be cleared of all the disfiguring erections and buildings so mistakenly erected, and the 'Upper Terrace kept for flowers and fireworks, the remainder should be easily let at considerable profit to private clubs, for tennis, hockey, &c. Such clubs should not be allowed to erect any high boundary round their grounds, as they would all be within the Palace boundary. Any additional space for games is an undoubted boon to London and would be an added attraction to the Palace grounds. The possibility of large football " gates " once again has, apparently, already been recognized..—I am,
Banstead, Surrey.
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