EMPIRE PAGEANTRY

The Pageant, which is to be the chief glory of the Festival of Empire this year, has gained much from the delay of a year which was forced upon its organisers. Since last year its scope has widened great'y. First designed as a Pageant of London only, it has grown to be a Pageant of Empire, which, as at present designed, will give an adequate picture of the history of our race, not only m the Mother Islands, but m Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Its grand final scene will be ' The Masque Imperial — an Allegory of the Advantages of Empire.' and m this all the nations under the Flag will take part. This scene will be a fine- culmination to a great story. The King has commanded that 'The Masque Lnperial ' shall be the part of the Pageant staged when his guests, the poor children of London, are present. The greatest care has been taken to ensure historical accuracy m all the scenes of the Pageant. When the design was to keep the Pageant strictly to London a committee was formed of the highest authorities m British history, under the chairmanship of Sir Laurence Gomme. When the Pageant was extended m scope to indicate the growth of the Empire the Historical Committee summoned new members to its aid, so that m regard to historical facts, to ethnology, and scenery the Empire scenes of the Pageant will be strictly veracious. Representative gentlemen from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa — chosen because of their familiarity with those countries — were asked to 'write the scenes of the Pageant associated with their countries, and also to check over carefully the costumes.^ the ornaments, the architecture, etc. Thus one may notice at the Crystal Palace Mr T. E. Donne (of the New Zealand High Commissioner's Office) supervising the 6cene painttrs and figure moulders and architects, co that the Maori village and forest and pah will be reproduced exactly ; another, representative of Australia, dictating the color and the curious droop of the Australian gumtree, and supervising the erection of the bush hotel m which the Kelly gang made their last stand ; another, represenative of South Africa, dictating the color and contour of the Matoppo Hills, identified always with the name of Cecil Rhodes. It is expected that all the players m the Pageant will be amateurs, and it is hoped that each nation will provide the players for its own scenes. Representative Canadians, Aiistralians, New Zealanders, and South Africans who will be m London as visitors for the Coronation festivities, or who are for a. time resident m London, axe being invited to take the various parts. All the British parts will be played by amateurs, various boroughs m London having undertaken the responsibility of the different scenes. — London, correspondent.