ARMISTICE DAY IN LONDON

Evening Star, Issue 22804, 12 November 1937, Page 8

ARMISTICE DAY IN LONDON

KIM GEORGE THE CEMTRAL FIGURE LANCE CRIWDS AT CENITAPN (British Official Wireless.) Pres* Association—By Telegraph— Copyright RUGBY, November 11. (Received November 12, at 11 a.m.)' King George, for the first time, waa the central figure at the Armistice Day service at the Cenotaph, Whitehall, which was thronged with an exceptionally large crowd. In other parta of London, notably outside St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Royal Exchange, there were also vast concourses.

The service at the Cenotaph followed the usugl lines and was the model for; thousands of similar services in cities, towns, and villages throughout Britain and the Empire. In every case the service was preceded by an impressive observance of the two minutes’' silence. . x

Before the Cenotaph service began wreaths were laid around the base of the memorial by representatives of various units of the fighting forces and others. The King, who was attended by the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent, laid his ■ wreath i» ? its- place a tew minutes before the service began; The Queen and Queen Mary, together with other ladies of the Royal Family* watched the ceremony from the windows of the Home Office,

The Prime Minister, the 1/eader of the Opposition, the Lord Chancellor* the Speaker and members of Cabinet,the High Commissioners for the Dominions, representatives, of the forces* the merchant, Navy, and fishing fleets,religious denominations, and others occupied positions around the Cenotaph. At the conclusion of the service the King walked up Whitehall to the Haig Statue and laid a wreath at its base* OBSERVANCE IN JERUSALEM ARABS AND ITALIAN CONSUL REFUSE TO ATTEND. JERUSALEM, November 11. (Received November 12, at 11 a.m.) Arabs boycotted the armistice service at the British ceremony. Their representatives did not accept the invitations. The Italian Consul also did not attend, on the ground that prominent Abyssinians were present. . Cars armed with Lewis guns patrolled the streets as a precaution against disturbances. An Arab waa shot dead on the outskirts of the city, OTHER NBTVMINS INMKNTI LONDON, November 11. (Received November 12, at noon.) The Cenotaph service at Spitalfield* Markets was interrupted by the shouts of a middle-aged man after the twominutes’ silence. He was set upon by the crowd and badly knocked about. A man narrowly escaped beating by the crowd at Ludgate Circus, when loud whistling broke the silence. Bewas chased but escaped.

Apart from the incident at the Cenotaph, the service was on the patter* of previous years. The crowds were not diminished after the service. The King walked across to the ex-service-men and inspected the HAig statue. Mr Sandford placed a wreath op the Cenotaph on behalf of New Zealand.