THE OPENING

Evening Star, Issue 25469, 27 April 1945, Page 6

THE OPENING

SAN FRANCISCO OPERA HOUSE COLOURFUL PROCEEDINGS SAN FRANCISCO, April 25. The Opera House auditorium blazed with colour when 3,300 delegates, advisers, consultants, cameramen, and reporters assembled to see the first steps taken in forming an organisation to banish war. The colours ranged from the sky blue of tb> stage backdrop through splendid golds and rich creams to the,plush red ©if the auditorium scats in the body of the hall. The sombre tones of war-time khak; and blue uniforms provided a contrast.

Of the best-known delegates, M. Molotov arrived firsc. The whole Soviet delegation lined up behind'him as he walked in. He picked a place two seats from the aisle. While half a dozen of his delegation crowded past to empty seats beyond, a. short distance away Field-Marshal Smuts sat thoughtfully fingering the head of a cane, possibly harking \ back to Versailles, which failed in its .objective to remove war's scourge. Mr Anthony Eden arrived about 4.20 p.m., soon after M. Molotov. Mr Eden, M. Molotov, and Dr Soong had no part in the official ceremonies, which were reserved for the United States, the host Government rtf the four sponsoring Powers. President Truman. Mr Stettinius. Governor Warren (California), and Mr IRoger Lapham, the Mayor of San Francisco, were the only speakers. The delegations filed steadily into the great hall, and just before starting time the building was filled with the hum of voices, many languages symbolising unity of purpose, even if opinions were divergent. Representatives of each American armed service, men and women, marched from the wings and took station before the flags and behind the speakers' chairs. Then Mr Stettinius and his party appeared on the stage. Seeing the delegates rise. Mr Stettinius requested them to sit down for a moment's silent prayer. He himself took a chair, then rose, arranged his coat with one hand, and said to the delegates: " The President of the United States." THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE. v There was a brielf pause. Then President Truman's voice came through loud speakers, broadcast from Washington. His voice was firm and easily audible. The President spoke rapidly. At the conference officials' request his address was not interrupted by applause. The delegates sat under brilliant floodlights streaming from either side of the hall, and the only flicker of noise came from an occasional photographer's flash-bulb and the official stenographer's machine. A breeze off-stage ruffled the Union -Jack and the Stars and Stripes, and stirred the colours of other flags along the line.

Movie and still cameramen were present in great number?, filling most of the boxes and rejoicing in the chance to photograph more of the world's great men than since Versailles. Above them were 24 spotlights, capable of making the_ stage as bright as a Hollywood set. Newspaper men filled some of the boxes and part of the Press circle just above the line of boxes. Seats in the gallery were occupied by members of the public who were luriky enough to get a ticket for one of the world's most significant spectacles. A band offstage helped to break the tedium of waiting, playing appropriate airs, among"them ' Stout-hearted Men.' The opening ceremony lasted 31 minutes. An announcement intimated that all the chiefs of the delegations will meet at 10.30 a.m. to-morrow. A plenary session will be held at 3.30 p.m. M. Molotov reminded incommunicado again so far as the Press was concerned. A cordon of 15 hefty Soviet citizens surrounded him whenever he appeared in public. The difference between the Soviet and American l customs was shown when grim-looking , M. Molotov appeared with a body- : guard at the " Big Four " meeting at Fairmont Hotel, while Mr Stettinius and Mr Eden walked through the ( lobby smiling and conversing without ( apparent special protection.

NO OPENING PRAYER. Two Central New York religious leaders joined to-day in criticising the absence of an opening prayer at the San Francisco Conference. Bishop Foery, of Syracuse (Roman Catholic), said it was unthinkable that the conference should he opened without prayer. Bishop Peabody (Episcopalian), of Central New York, recalled that no prayers were said at the Paris peace conference in 1919, and it accordingly filled him with regret and apprehension for the future, as he considered the possibility of_ history repeating itself. San Francisco observers pointed out that a multitude of religions was represented by the attending delegates and the fact that some have no religion posed a difficult problem on a form of prayer. The ' New York Times ' placed before the delegates at breakfast.yesterday a four-page edition of the ' Times ' published in New York at 2 a.m. yesterday and printed in San Francisco from engravings made from wired photos of the pages. This experiment in " facsimile " reproduction is the first of its kind in the history of journalism. Four pages were photographed in half pages and transmitted in the same way as telephotos. After receipt the half pages were developed, printed, placed together, and rephotographed by the ordinary half-tone process.