EMPIRE WALKS PAST.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 22 August 1924, Page 3

EMPIRE WALKS PAST.

BRITISH PREMIER’S PARTY. LONDON, June 28. The Prime Minister had a most admirable idea in holding a garden party yesterday in honour of our overseas visitors, and an even more admirable one in holding it- at Hampton Court (says a Sydney Sun cablegram). You could see the guests, of whom there were between two and three thousand standing here and there in the grounds of the old place, absorbed in the beauty of their surroundings, and with an obvious determination to take back with them to their homes a deep and fixed recollection of all they saw The little groups which stood in meditation, by the Long Water, or King Henry’s Garden, were looking not at these real objects alone, but also at the memories of their fathers. The gathering which formed in the centre of the Park towards five o’clock was one worthy, too, of being a memory for some generations. The first Labour Prime Minister of Great Britain, who bad earlier entered the grounds with his daughter. Miss Ishbel MacDonald, Princess Marie Louise, Princess Helena Victoria, Lady Patricia. Ramsay, stood there with a few Bov Scouts around them for a bodyguard, and received the people of the Empire as they defiled in a long line past him. Each person as he or she came forward to be greeted by Mr. Ramsay MacDonald was announced by a tall member of the Downing Street household staff, and announced well 'and clearlv.

It was wonderful to hear the uninterrupted roll of names. “Mr. Smith, of Kimberley, and Mrs. Smith. Mr. Edwards, of Tanganyika. Sir John and Lady Brown, of Melbourne Mrs. Wilson, of Hong Koncr. Dr ‘White, of Trinidad. Mr. Williams, of Montreal. Mr. and Mrs. Grey, of Nigeria.” It went on and on. There seemed not a speck of the globe which did not yield some son or daughter to step forward on the green turf and shake the Prime Minister’s hand. One young Cingalee notable, before taking it, drew his two hands together first before his face in a/ sort of reverent salute, and bowed deep. Nothing could have exceeded the warmth and friendliness of the Prime" Minister’s welcome. He had a. word, and a special word, too, for everybody. Matters for himself and his guests, they are not to be pried into, but still some of his greetings floated down on the breeze. One caught fragments. “Ah, Brisbane. .Yes, I wish . . .” “I know your town. I remember . to a family group of mother, father, and daughter: ‘ ‘Now I hope you are thoroughly enjoying yourselves. What are you seeing? , Wembley, of course. ...” '

A doctor from the Society Islands had an especial welcome, and so had two visitors from Fiji, and a very distinguished Chinese and his wife, presented by Mr. Thomas. Many of the guests were going to pass on a little timidly, but the Prime Minister held them a minute for a kindly private word, though the vast majority were complete strangers. A curious example of mutual courtliness. The Prime Minister, as a tribute to overseas informality, had donned a lounge suit, to find that his guests had nearly all, in tribute to British formality, donned tall hats and morning coats.