EMPIRE DAY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18128, 18 July 1924, Page 10

EMPIRE DAY.

CHILDREN'S PAGEANT AT WEMBLEY. A. THRILLING SPECTACLE. • (raosi OTJR OWN COBKKSPOSDWTJ LONDON, May 2D. " This , rear is one of superlatives ing place in London every week would, in other years, le.ive impressions for a lifetime. Empire Day came of age lastSaturday, and all through the country this fact, was celebrated, but nowhere was the Imperial idea given such stately, expression than at the great stadium at. "Wembley. It- is an old saving that London hns a genius for pageantry. This fact was again- proved when the eighty thousand people wb> came to celebrate Empire Day looked down on the scene in the a-ona and heard the music of the largest band that has ever come together. Saturday was tho official opening day for the programme that is to run for a week. It was the children s special day, arid in the Exhibition grounds and pavilions there . was the largest number of people which has yet assembled for one particular day. Wo fewer than 117,549 passed the turnstiles by five o'clock in the afternoon, and mnny thousands more must hav« arrived in the evening to see the military spectacle repeated and hear tho bands play again, and witness the fireworks. , . There was a morning of torrential rain, but the sky cleared in the afternoon and the public took the riskThey were rewarded, for the whole ol the'afternoon and evening was fine, and the bright BUnshine accentuated the kaleidoscopic effects of the scarlet and gold, and the polished brass of the band instruments. Tho Duke of Con naught represented fhe King and took up his station in the Royal bos. He was surrounded by a brilliant entourage of officers of the various ser vices: all in staff uniform. The flags of tlie Empire were ranged in one long line before the box when t.\o Duke arrived. The men bearing theswere drawn from everv corner of the Empire. In the background was ■ contingent from the Royal Nava School, Greenwich, and another froi: the Duke of York's School. The arrival of the .Duke of Con naught was marked by a thunder o cheers, after which tlie assembly too up the strains of the National Anthem Simultaneously the Union Ja-k and th ensigns of the Dominions were lowero to the salute. . The entj;ince of t massed pipera was the signal for j great outburst of cheering. After th pipers came tne massed fife bands, re splendent- in scarlet and gold. The tne League of Empire prv-ession bega their march past. It emerged froir the left of the arena looking from th'- , King's box, marched' across the tw( hundred yards of turf, and so on to the galleries reserved for the children at. the further end of the stadium. Fo forty minutes the Duke took th salutes while the procession, numbering eight thousand, went by. It was'formed of ten columns, each eight hundred strong, and was representative of the youth of the Empire Enrolled in military and naval training corps, in cadet corps, and such organisations. as the Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Church Girls' Brigade, Dr. Barriardo's Homes, and the Foundling Hospital. There were strapping youths and tiny tots who could not have been more than six or seven years of age, but all appeared to be inspired, by the martial music which caine froni the massed bands, and they, swung across,, the turf, almost with the regularity, and , precision of trained troops. . As each column reached the far end of the stadium it passed to the terraces at the rear .of the Royal dais, and when they were all assembled the great band crashed forth the strains of " Hearts of Oak,'' which was also sung by a special choir formed by one thousand Hoy- Scouts, and the whole of those who were taking part in the procession. In the meantime the boys of the Royal \Naval School and the Duke of/ York's School had formed up. in three' sides of the square in the centre of the arena, and during the ceremony of trooping tne colourf"their bands plajed selections of Empire music. This intricate ceremonial was excellently carried j through and the red and blue in the uniform of the boys made bright patches of colour against the of the grass. Old soldiers among the audience were overwhelmed with admiration at, the precision of the boys' movements. A magnificent display of marching and counter-marching followed.

The King's Message. ■ The Duke 'of Connaught then moiinfc«l the Royal dais, where his voice was broadcast and announced that he had sent a message of loyal greetings to the King. He then read out, the King's reply: "Please convey to the' ten thousand members of the League of Empire assembled at Wembley .to-day my sincere thanks for their loyal message. I arii glad that "the gathering should have been held 'at the British Epipiro Exhibition, where the ioyal and Imperial representatives of this great Empire can guin a new insight of the life and activities-of their fellow citizens in many lands." Then followed the music and < the marching of the massed band, the pick of eighty-three battalion bands.' There were a thousand men in all. They paraded in open formation covering several acres of the tuirf. As they marched and doubled upon their own columns, and iv'heeleS, thoir burnished instruments flashed in the sunlight and the people cheered with iasm because of the spectacle sented. As for the music herel'a&aih one • can only speakin superlatives. Nothing like it has / heard; before. . After advancing/ fetirihg, mass-wheeling, , walking, through selves, the bands., advanced to one end of the ground, broke, and' in'a minute were formed in a' circle abound' the conductor in the middle of the ground. Then followed •' selections ' from Dr. "Vaughan. "Williams' works • (March, "Seventeen Coine Sunday," intermezzo, "My Bonny Boy," and Polk Songs IJroni Sbmorset). To this succeeded Dame Ethel' Stnyth's Cornish, tragedy' oterture, ' * The Wreckers."' * . . Music and Fireworks. In. . the evening the military programme was-repeated and another concert was given by the massed bands.

■ ■ --"*4 Darkness had cOrae ljirjfi final piece, a military Battle of Waterloo," %jjj| battle itself was priate fireworks and'..til tioris. Fust, there .wh| gun, the church cloek gUgj tlie reveille' soundeCpH camp in motion, tkvfiMj of the French British Army to * ' 1 British Grenadiers,'?Wk of the Irish Brigade w#l by '' Garry.owcn,'' th»jn| Highland Brigade "Hieland ade by "Men of Hsriaa| ish cavalry charge foflii battle, the toot of 'IbMl and. finally, the Victory,! nil the excitement.of :<|aij| ended the greatban&*3 I'veninn hymn, "Abidewa finally, the "Last by 300 buglers. . 2