PEACE BONFIRES

Evening Star, Issue 17084, 1 July 1919, Page 6

PEACE BONFIRES

PAGEANT ON THE THAMES. Plan® of the three gigantic pageant (schemes in connection with peace- celebrations have been submitted by the Lecgue of .the Arts for National and CSvio Oommonieo to the Parliamentary Committee appointed by the Imperial Cabinet to conaider the question. They consist of : 1. An organised number of open-ail Shnkespcroan plays by well-known actors and actresses on 28 stands in all the London boroughs. These plays "would begin at 7in the evening. Concerts are proposed in ‘addition, with orchestral music, the revelry to be illunuDeted with powerful searchlights a.! over London. 2. The Thames Pageant fixed for July 19, which has the support of all the big shipping compa l aes. Chains of 500 barges will be decorated and line the banks of the river as representative boats of the mercantile marine make their processional on the Thames. 3. A National Halbffimh <say on the Sunday following the River Pageant. Massed cboire from all part® of London would be organised to proceed—-an the case of London—to a central position, and give a great Thanksgiving Service. Services on 'similar lines are being organised all over the country. OFFICIAL MILITARY PAGEANT Discussing the. schemes with a ‘Daily Chronicle ’ representative, Captain Thistle ton (-secretary of the league) said they were preceding rapidly with the details of the last two' pageant®, but until the Parliamentary Committee met to consider the actual Peace Day scheme" they couM not get along fast. He -hiad cent in an estimte of the coat, which would be for the 28 boroughs, approximately £15,000, or £6OO for each borough. It is understood that th© Office of Works havo under consideration a military pageant for peace day in London. ■Another form of celebration which is being organised by the Central Committee Peace Celebration Beacons and _ Bonfires, assisted bv the Overseas Club, will consist of a. chain of bonfires not only round th© British Islands, but round the British Empire. ILLUMINATING THE COUNTRYSIDE. In the British Isles the chain of beacon lights and bonfires is being organised from the Lake District, with Canon Rawndoy as secretary, the idea being not to use valuable fuel, but to make use of the large surplus stock of flares, rocket®, and handlights which the War Office and Admiralty arc placing at the disposal of the committee. All the counties :n England have bien circularised, and at 11 p.m., summer t : me. on the date fixed, it is proposed to illuminate the countryside. North of the Border the operation, will take place half an boar earlier. The flares, which -cost 10s, will light up three miles of country. Another series of peace pageants is to bo organised on behalf of St. Dunstaa’s Hostel, for permanent care of the blind soldiers. In several large centres episodes of the Empire at Peace and Wat will lie reconstructed on a huge open-air stage. The final 'scene mil include & thousand children dressed in red, white, and blue costumes, to form a living Union Jack.