THE CORONATION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 51, 2 March 1911, Page 8

THE CORONATION.

DOMINION PREPARATIONS. OVERSEA VISITORS. [FHOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] LONDON. 28th January. Those who contemplate corning from New Zealand must not place too much dependence on obtaining . seats in the New Zealand stand. Sir-William HallJones has already received applications-* from far more persons' than he is likely to.be able to find accommodation for, and the^ allotment of the seats will in■evitably leave hundreds- unprovided 1 for. It may be taken for granted at once' ithat the only persons 1 at all likely -to*get< •into the Abbey axe those holding high positions in^the Dominion,* such ac the 2Prime Minister and the Attorney-Gene-ral. There are so many to be-provided for 'that the Earl Marshal will not haveany seats to spare outside the most exclusive ranks, and, of course, admission to the Abbey depends quite on the Earl Marshal's invitation. STANDS FOR VISITORS. Plans are now being prepared by the Office of Works for the structures, which will accommodate sighieers, for whom there i& no room in the Abbey, but who •have claims to. consideration which cannot be disregarded. Tie principal stand, which will b& erected by the Government Department, will cover the strip of garden between the walls enclosing Buckingham Palace ground® and the railings on the south side of Constitution Hill. As soon as the snowdrops and crocuses have shed their petals, the workmen will take possession, and a hage timber -erection, capable of holding between 7000and 8000- spectators, will be built. ■ The other- stands which tho Office of 1 Works has in contemplation are at Westminster- and Traialgar-sqnare. The former wilL b© for- the House, of Commons, including ■•the-officials of the House ,and the members- of the- press gallery ; the latter for the friends of members of the Upper Honse. Two .sites which were available for- Government stands at the last Coronation are now covered by the War -Office and the Local Government Board buildings. And as the Coronation procession will almost certainly 'pass through the Admiralty arch instead of entering Whitehall by way of the Horse Guards, the opportunity of erecting stands at this point, which was enjoyed in 1902, will be lost. Sir William Hall-Jones had desired to' erect -a stand for the accommodation of visiting New Zealanders, but the Office -of Works prefers to keep this in its -own* 'hands, merely providing the High Comimissioner wita a certain -number of tickets, which he will presumably haveto allot -by ballot. Nino years ago th&* Colonial Office was able to arrange forthe accommodation of ai>out 4000, and a. similar courtesy will probably ■be extended to them-this year. DOMINION DECORATIONS. A proposal which is just in the<embxyo' state is father attractive, namely, thatthe different Dominions should >be allot-, ted sites on the processional route for' ;the erection of arches and devices con--sonant with the general scliemo of the* decorations. In 1902 one of the most, striking features of the decorations was, the great arch which Canada erected ur Whitehall, symbolic of tho resources and-, -the aspirations of the Dominion. I understand that the High Commissioner for 'New Zealand has this matter under consideration at present. It would certainly be a better means of demonstrations -than illuminating the offices in Victoria- 1 street, which will be- quite out ot the track of the crowds in June. HYMNS FOR THE NATION. Already there are various hymns for general use at the time of the Coronation, but perhaps that written by they Bishop of Durham is destined to. the widest favour. Dr. HandleyMoulo has already written several hymns that have found their place in popular collections, and only a fen weeks ago he composed one for the use of miners in his great diocese. The Coronation Hymn has as its opening lines * Lo, the King in stato and splendour Bears the crown, upon his brow, While the fourth verse runs : Save him to .maintain victorious ♦ All the good his Father sought; All his battles, great and glorious, On the fields of peace be fought; Let him follow Thee before us, All his works in Thee be wrought. Sir Frederick Bridge has written a stirring congregational tune for it, and it is included with others by the Rev. S. J. Stone, Canon Ainger, and the Rev. S. Baring Gould in a little collection, of which their Majesties have accepted the dedication. TO ENTERTAIN COLONIAL TROOPS. Preparations are already -being made for the entertainment of from 1500 to 2000 troops who will represent the colonies at the Coronation. Major-General Lord Cheylesmore, who acted as hon. sec. of the Hospitality Committee in 1902, states to-day that he is starting the Colonial Troops Entertainment Committee again with the -Duke of Abercorn chairman, as before, and that uhe officials of the War Office and Colonial Office are very anxious that they should do what was done in 1902. Sir Edward Ward at the War Office and Mr. Harris at the Colonial Office are co-operating with the committee.