EMPIRE DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 123, 25 May 1908, Page 7

EMPIRE DAY.

CELEBRATIONS IN BRITAIN. SALUTING THE FLAG. OVER A MILLION CHILDREN TAKE PART IN CEREMONIES. 3j Telegraph.— tress Association. -CopyrijthtLONDON, 23rd May. The Empiie Day celebrations throughout Great Britain are extending over three days. Over a million children! attending schools in London saluted the flag yesterday. Lectures were given and exercises in relation to the movement gone through at one thousand schools. The Municipal Councils of Battersea and Poplar refused to fly the flag or display bunting. Tho celebrations in the West End of London were on a greater scale than ever. In the East end a hundred of the poorest children purchased small flags. The boys of Eton College presented 1 a' Union 'Jack to the elementary schoola at Eton. At the Greenwich School a flag from tho Greenwich School, New South Wales was unfurled. The Earl of Meath, through Mr. J. H. Carruthers, ex-Premier of New South. Wales, who is now visiting England, sent a message of sincere thanks to Australians for their enthusiastic support of the Empire movement. He urged themnot to forget the spirit tho movement expressed in its watchwords—Responsibility, Duty, Sympathy, Self-sacrifice." If these ideals were impressed in tna home and in the school upon the rising generation tho boys and girls would* become worthy citizens of the mightiest Empire in the world. At the instance of the London Cotmty Council a programme of patriotic lessons on citizenship was conducted' in nearly every school, and ths flag .was Saluted. " ' '.; ' London's lead iB being generally foU lowed in the provinces. King Edward thanked the London" scholars for a message of loyalty. The Duchess of Albany distributed prizes «vt tho Esher National Schools,, where the Earl of Meath addressed tha. children on "How Best to Help ths Empire." k Senator Dobson, of Tasmania, recommended universal training in drill and shooting to equip youths and men to d©». fend the Empire. Lord Tennyson (ex-Governor-General) of Australia), tho Earl of Meath, Mr. Rudyard Kipling, Mr. C. H. Bawson, Agent General for Western Australia, Senator Dobsc-n, and Mr. Weedeon, late Lord Mayor of Melbourne, spoke at a similar demonstration at the Boys' Brigades Bands, Shepherd's Bush. A large school at Peckham has been temporarily transformed into a znuseuni to display products from the colonies, lent by Mr. Taverner, Agent-Genera! for Victoria, and others. The scholar* were much interested. Mr. Henniker Heaton, M.P., present*, ed flags from the Canterbury and Parramatta schools, New South Wales, to two Canterbury schools. Mr. Carruthers, addressing a thousand scholars at Canterbury, emphasised tha loyalty of Australians to the flag, because it was an emblem of liberty, national security, and Empire. He fctated that two thousand five hundred NewSouth Wales schools would celebrate Empire Day. The Mayor of Canterbury; returned thanks for the Sag. The headmaster of King's School, Oani terbury (Very Rev. Henry Wace) eulogised Bishop Broughton's foresight in permanently establishing at the heart of Australia a school embodying the noblest ideals of English life. Mr. Heaton stated that King's School* at Canterbury and? Parramotta -vrer6 modelled on the same lines, only th© Australian scholars wore a volunteer's uniform. The Dean hoped that soon everybody in England would enjoy military dii* cipline. CANADA'S DOINGS. ADDRESS BY GOVERNOR* GENERAL. (Received May 25, 8.30 a.m.) OTTAWA, 24th May. Earl Grey, ' Governor-General, addSres* ing a parade of school children at Toronto, called upon them to celebrate tho tercentenary, and lend a hand in presenting to Canada tho eacredi ground) where the fate of North America wa» decided. KING AND QUEEN AT AN INSPECTION. THE MEATH TROPHY. LONDON, 24th May. I The King and Queen attended ar> Empire Day inspection of the Duke of York' 6 School, Chelsea. Earl Roberta witnessed t.Tie. fikooliDg of England's team of boys for the MeatS Trophy. A TEMPERANCE SOCIETY FETE. LONDON, 24th May.^ Twenty thousand children will attend the Church of England Temperance Society's Empire Day fete at the Crystal' Palace. SYDNEY CELEBRATIONS. CHURCH PARADE. SYDNEY, 24th May. Empire Day was celebrated by a large church parade of the troops. Lord Northcote, Governor-General and Sir Harry Rawson, Governor of N^ii; South Wales, were present.