CAPTAIN COOK

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1350, 30 January 1912, Page 6

CAPTAIN COOK

THE LONDON MEMORIAL.

Tne life-size statuo of Captain James Cook, the famous navigator, which ia to Jv Pi® c ®? on .,,the Processional route in the Mall, will prqbably bo ready for unveiling some time this year. More than a century has passed since Captain Cook was killed in the Sandwich Islands where'he was carrying out some survey K or L ; v/ e , l<; .^ as . but a 3'oar or two ago that the decision to honour him by a permanent memorial of this kind in the hrct City of the Empire was reached. The scheme (says the "Standard of Empire ) originated with Sir Joseph Carruthers, a former Premier of New South Wales. During a visit tb London Sir Joseph learned with surprise that there was no : statue here -to the man who achieved such remarkable results in, among others, his expeditions to New Zealand and Australia. In these Dominions the memory of Captain Cook has been kept green in a variety of ways, notably by the imprint of his effigy upon stamps.' It was a sad reflection, thought Sir Joseph Carruthers, that the country served so well by, the distinguished explorer should give such evidence of apparent indifference to his achievements as was ' indicated by the absence of a memorial, while less eminent Britons had their lives and deeds commemorated' in this way. . Sir Joseph Carruthers took steps at once with a view to the repair of the omission. Ho directed public attention to it, and succeeded in arousing an interest, which ultimately received .expression in the appointment of a committee, under the chairmanship of Mr. Herbert Samuel, for the execution of the work. /•''■< Hif Majesty King George, when Prince of Wales, graciously accepted the position of . honorary president, and though, on his. accession to the Throne, it was obviously impossible for him to retain that office, the movement is still assured lof his Majesty's most cordial approval. Assistance was also forthcoming from the [ Government, through the medium of tho Offioo of Works. Approached by the committee with regard to a site, that department offered one in an admirable position on the Mall side of the new Admiralty Arch. The appropriateness of it was at once recognised, and the committoo had no hesitation in accepting it, with tho condition imposed—namely, that the design and execution of H' statue should be entrusted to Sir Thomas Brock.