COMMONWEALTH BANQUET.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 207, 1 September 1908, Page 5

COMMONWEALTH BANQUET.

iINTERNATXQNAL BOAT RACE. }

{(^Received September 1, 10.12 ia.mi) j JIELBpIJRNE, Septemberl, 3Che Commonwealth banquet^.eem-: t^daed yesterdia^' s programriie. Jt \was,-»'! briniantlfiistoxic gathering, - and, the"' speeches were -a reiteration of ijhe iirienahr sentinierits expressed at pre'jr^ias,'&nctiiojts. Mr^pea&iii pafieireli to the natural national and great '.friendship between America and Australia.

The city was the <disiplay "being confined to a number of public buildings aid one or tWo. of the Ileading "Streetsj whi6h,;with the warships, made an effective show. A; torchlight procession -of <itae thousand five 'hundred f firemen added an -in-,

-terestilog feature. Many people were overcome in the, -crushing crowds, and received medi-v rear treatment. The'Bloek at the rail-i station at night was, terrible., "Women tainted in scores. "It-was im-:

•possible *to provide accommodation 'for' <€he immense crowfl, a^d thousand^ \were kept waiting for'hours. ,;. '-\ The race for the 3attenburg Cup,

■ : and a money prize of '£400 between; > «crews from the 'Louisiaiia and the war*i <ihip Challenger, over -a, three-niile course, resulted in an easy win"foi:i-he Americans.; 'The Bfitisia crew led. for

•a -quarter of '«a >niile; then 'the Americans i§hot to the front, and 'finished •with -nearly -a thousand -yards to .jepasre. ) . ' •/.'■ •■ ~." '. .