ARMISTICE DAY

Hokitika Guardian, 12 November 1936, Page 5

ARMISTICE DAY

LONDON SCENES IMPRESSIVE OBSERVANCES. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright).

(Received this day at 11.35 a.m.) LONDON, November 11

• No Armistice Day ceremony equalled the imprsesiveness of Lodon’s stillness, when the city was stilled by the customary two minutes’ silence. The surge of sound when the city boiled into activity again was almost as impressive as the silence. Trans-Channel air pilots took part in the silence by throttling back their engines, and dipping the machines in salute to the fallen.

The King, who appeared for the first time at this great public assemblage as a Monarch, left Buckingham Palace for the Cenotaph at 10.35 a.m. Queen Mary accompanied by the Duke and Duches s of Gloucester, and Duke and Duchess of York, drove to the scene and seated herself in. a window overlooking the crowded Whitehall.

As eleven o’clock began to chime, maroons were sounded, and a gun thudded from the Horse Guards Parade. The observance of the traditional ceremonies proceeded.

In devout majestic calm, the King placed a wreath on London’s most significant memorial, and then stepped back. He stood motionless at attention as the silence spread through his Dominions. Messrs Bruce and Jordan placed wreaths on the Cenotaph on behalf of their respective countries. The Hon. W. Nash and Mrs Nash were present.

A socialist speaker at Edinburgh was mobbed by a crowd for ignoring the signal for silence.

CELEBRATIONS IN PARIS.

TORCHES BORNE OVER BORDER (Received this day at .12 noon). , PARIS, November 11. Children, for the first time, participated in the armistice ceremonies in France, boys and girls filing past the President at the Unknown Soldier’s tomb in the Arc de Triomphe, in precisely the same way as did the troops of the Paris garrison.

The Bishop of Arras celebrated midnight communion at Notre Dame de Lorette, dominating the great Flanders cemetery, where lie French y British and German dead. - .

Torches, lit respectively on the graves of the Unknown Soldiers in Paris and Brussels, were borne by. ex-combatants from one capital to the other across the battlefield.

The colour of poppies sold in Paris was changed, because of political considerations, from red to yellow. Many people declined to wear the yellow ones.

OBSERVANCE AT GIBRALTAR.

(Received this day at 12 noon). GIBRALTAR, November 11.

Spanish fascists mingled with Spanish communists and syndicalists at the armistice celebrations. Thousands of refugees of all shades, of political opinion stood side by side watching the ceremony at the Cros s of Sacrifice.