9i6 



NATURE 



[UfcCfcMhKk 22, 1923 



The British Empire Exhibition, 1924, 



VXnDKSPHKAD interest throughout the British 

 * ' Kmpire and elsewhere was aroused by the 

 Imperial Conference, attended by statesmen and 

 representatives Irom the constituent parts of the 

 Kmpire, which recently concluded its sittings in 

 Ix>ndon. Among the subjects dealt with at this 

 historic gathering was the natural resources of the 

 Empire and their exploitation, and i>ractical expression 

 to many of the points raise<l will be given by the 

 Hritish ICmpire Kxhibition to be held next year at 

 Wembley. During the summer months, from April 

 until October, the Kxhibition will be a centre of 

 attraction throughout the British Kmpire and indeed 

 throughout the world. The immediate object will 

 be to furnish a display of the natural resources of the 

 coimtries of the British Empire and the activities, 

 industrial and social, of their peoples ; the ulterior 

 motive is the promotion of Imperial trade. In effect, 

 it should be an impressive spectacle demonstrating 

 the progress of civilisation. 



The scheme for a British limpire Exhibition was 

 put forward in 1913 by the late Lord Strathcona, but 

 It was not until 19 19 that definite steps were taken to 

 promote such an exhibition. A provisional committee 

 secured the approval of the Board of Trade, the King 

 graciously consented to become patron, and in June 

 1920 the project was formally launched at a meeting 

 held at the Mansion House. The Prince of Wales 

 became president of the general committee, and in 

 December 1920 an Act of Parliament was passed 

 authorising the Government to contribute to the 

 guarantee fund, and the Dominions Overseas were 

 formally invited to take part in the Exhibition. A 

 site of 150 acres, since increased to 200 acres, was 

 selected at Wembley, and work was commenced. 



The magnitude of the part in the Exhibition which 

 will be taken by the Dominions Overseas can be 

 gathered from the following figures : at the Paris 

 Exhibition of 1900, they had 60,000 sq. ft. ; at the 

 White City in London in 1908, 110,000 sq. ft. ; at 

 Wembley they are having 600,000-700,000 sq. ft. of 

 space. Most of the Dominions are building pavilions 

 to display their exhibits. Australia is spending a 

 quarter of a million pounds on its display ; the 

 Indian Empire, about 167,000/. ; New Zealand, a 

 minimum of 60,000/. ; and the other Dominions, 

 amounts in accordance with their size. The building 

 for Australia alone covers 150,000 sq. ft., while the 

 Government of India has occupied 100,000 sq. ft. 



Other noteworthy buildings within the grounds are 

 the Palaces of Industry and Machinery, and the 

 agriculture section, which will house the Home 

 Country exhibits, and a building for the conferences 

 which are to be an important feature of the Exhibition. 

 To turn to a lighter side, there is a sports stadium 

 about one and a half times the size of the Coliseum 

 at Rome, which will accommodate 125,000 spectators, 

 and an amusement park where the usual exhibition 

 amenities will be provided. All the principal buildings 

 of the Exhibition are of a permanent and substantial 

 nature, and it is hoped that the site will be the home 

 of future large-scale exhibitions. 



The British Empire Exhibition is itself of the nature 

 of a company, and the funds necessary for the 

 organising work and construction have been advanced 

 by banks on the security of the guarantee fund. It 

 is hoped that the receipts from gate-money, sale of 

 space in the Exhibition, and other sources of revenue, 

 will render it unnecessary to call on the guarantors. 

 At the close of the Exhibition, the property will be 

 vested in a body of trustees to administer as a site 

 for exhibitions, and any profits obtained, subject to a 



NO. 2825, VOL. I 12] 



first charge in favour of the guarantors should it hav^ 

 been necessary to call upon them, is to be devoted 

 public objects. 



In order that the Exhibition may fulfil it«i pui 

 to display the natural resources of the I' 

 and tne activities of its people — it is i,. 

 wide range of exhibits must be included. 1 

 general condition is attached that, if mam 

 they must have been manufactured niaini 

 the Empire, or, if raw materials, they mat 1, .\ . 

 produced within the Kmpire. To orK>!i)> - 

 vast and varied collection is a task of no lu' .n 

 For this purpose the exhibits have been Ur> ■ 

 10 sections, 45 groups, and 150 classes. A' 



section headings are food, which includes ag:. 



fisheries and food-products ; raw materials, includin 

 minerals and forest products ; education, science .m 

 art, including the several grades of education 

 human, animal, and plant diseases of the tr^ 

 Groups in other sections are devoted to aerona 

 telegraphy and telephony, chemical plant, 

 instruments, hygiene and sanitation, and ^<c.^ 

 economy. More than thirty committees have h<-»'n 

 appointed, each consisting of experts in a ; r 



subject or branch of industry, to deal with tli 

 In some cases, the organisation of exhil-it- n 



undertaken by recognised trade associati:i ; • le 



British Engineers' Association is arranging t d 



engineering section, the British Electrical ; 1 



Manufacturers' Association the electrical ci.,k...^^. ...g 

 section, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and 

 Traders the motor transport section, and the Associa- 

 tion of British Chemical Manufacturers the chemical 

 section. Pure science exhibits are being arranged bv 

 the Royal Society and the Association of Br --h 

 Chemical Manufacturers, the latter body haN ni^; 

 undertaken the whole of the pure chemistry side. 



The chemical section itself will be a self-containe<l 

 hall with about 40,000 sq. ft. of floor space within the 

 Palace of Industry, and the chemical manufacturers' 

 association is spending 100,000/. on it. The bulk of 

 the space will be devoted to exhibits from the leading 

 firms of chemical manufacturers in Great Britain, 

 which will be arranged roughly in five groups : (i) 

 heavy chemicals, (2) dyestufl^s and intermediates, 

 (3) fine chemiceds, (4) soap and perfumerv', and (5) 

 scientific. One small section within the Chemical 

 Hall, 2500 sq. ft. in area, will be devoted to pure 

 chemistry, and it is hoped to demonstrate here the 

 body of scientific research on which the chemical 

 industry of Great Britain rests. The organisation of 

 the scientific section is in the hands of a committee of 

 representatives of scientific societies interested which 

 was recorded in our issue of November 3, p. «>65. 

 This committee and the Royal Society's committee on 

 scientific exhibits have three members in commor, 

 and in this way it is hoped to a\'oid overlapping. 



It will not be possible in the space available for the 

 scientific section to attempt a complete, standing 

 exhibit illustrating the achievements of modem 

 chemistry. The difficulty is to be overcome by 

 providing a succession of exhibits which will follow 

 one another during the period while the Exhibition 

 remains open. For this purpose, the subject has 

 been broken up into a number of sections or branches, 

 and distinguished authorities in the various branches 

 are arranging appropriate displays which will be 

 " staged " in succession. A list of the names of 

 those who have agreed to act in this capacity- was 

 given in Nature of November 10. p. 700. In 

 connexion with the work of the scientific section, a 

 number of descriptive pamphlets indicating the nature 



