EMPIRE PAGEANT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14304, 25 February 1910, Page 5

EMPIRE PAGEANT.

THE LONDON FESTIVAL.

By Telegraph.— Association.—Copyright.

(Received February 24, 9.35 p.m.)

~ London, February 24. -At a luncheon in the Savoy Hotel in connection with the promotion of the pageant of the 'Empire, Lord Ply- ; mouth presided over a company, of 200, which included Lords Desborough, Wenlbck, Kinnaird, Barnard, and many commercial and representative men and a number of Australian and other overseas representatives.

Earl;.'. Grey (Governor-General of Canada) and .Lord ..Selborne, ; (High' Commissioner for {South Africa) sent cablegrams, and the Earl of ; Crewe a letter, warmly supporting the project. : ' ' •

1 The' principal speakers were Lord Plymouth, the Duke of Marlborough; and Sir Pieter Bam (Cape Colony).

The Festival of the Empire is: to be held at the Crystal Palace in May, June/ and July.- It is hoped that 200 civilians from the overseas dependencies will . take part in a cycle of pageants illustrating the history of London,.together, with 15,000 other performers. ' The grounds will be devoted to spectacles of, colonial scenery; colonial industries, harvesting, ." shearing, timbergetting, and mining. There will ; also■ be colonial t cinematograph and other pictorial histories of - the different colonies. , The promoters of the festival .hope to secure educational'results which will.help in the consolidation ;of the Empire. The profits, will go to the King's Hospital Fund.