GREAT PAGEANT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7871, 5 August 1911, Page 7

GREAT PAGEANT

MARCH OF 40,000 WOMEN NEW ZEALAND’S CONTINGENT. FEOSI OCE SrECIAi COF.HV.srONDENT. LONDON, June 23. Tho Bulfragists have never organised a more picturesque pageant or a more effective protest than tho huge procession that ou Saturday- last marched from the Embankment to tho Albert Hall. Up to the present ten or twelve thousand has been tho record attendance in a suffrage procession. On Saturday between forty and fifty thousand women—tho greatest suffrage procession ever heard of—marched through London garlanded with, roses, with banners Hying, with some seventy bands filling the air with music and with, in their midst, a pageant of fair and bravo and great women of the past, that should press homo, more than women in. these more prosaic days have an opportunity of doing, tho ridiculousness of woman’s position in England to-day. Forty thousand is a stupendous figure, and difficult at one gulp to take in, but when one deducts it iron! one of tho large towns of New - Zealand and finds how serious a hole it would make in tho population, some idea uf its greatness may perhaps bo imagined. So huge was it, indeed, that it took three hours to pass any given point on the route. Traffic was partially suspended —that is to say, all that could bo diverted from the lino of route was—ami the slender white-gowned hosts were escorted by sturdy police ou horse and foot. Tho order and organisation of so great j an army was remarkable, and military I experts have accorded most generous I praise to this side of the arrangements. I The women inarched well and happily, as befitted a coronation pageant, and the crowds—how great a change is there in tho onlookers since the first suffrage procession, when jeers and brutal rudeness and impertinence were the order of tho occasion!—gave unstinted admiration and oven occasional cheers. There were at least TWO PRETTY INCIDENTS

of the inarch worth recording. Ouo was tho dipping of thousands of banners to Mrs AA oistenholme Limy, tho oldest suffragette in this country, who sat in a decorated balcony in tho AA’ost End, and tho other was tho same salutation given Madame Belloc, mother of tho popular writer, Mrs Bolloc-Lovmdcs, and of tho anti-suffragist, Mr Hilairo Belloc. Of Madamo Belloc, says the writer of a causerio this week, tho newer group of writers asked something like a biassing at tho Master’s house in tho Temple before tho march. She remembered tho distant days when the movement had the ban of tho "Saturday Review,” and .she herself was rebuked by name in tho anti-feminist articles of a woman, Mrs Lynn-Linton, tho most acrid writer of her time.

The Catholic Women’s Suffrage Society dipped banners while passing Bromptou Oratpry. Tho crowd in tho streets was enormous, every available inch of space apparently having its claimant, and even the roofs of four-wheelers and taxi-cabs being thronged by sightseers determined to miss nothing. Club balconies were crowded, maidservants and menservants leaned from tho upper windows of hotels, tho footpaths were thickly lined for the whole route of the procession, tho steps of tho Albert Memorial were full of spectators, and many coronation stands wore occupied. The fact that a considexable part of the journey lay along the coronation route, with, streets already gay with hunting and manifold decorations, lent yet greater splendour to the pretty scene.

NEAV ZEALAND,

as the first country to give its women, equal political rights with men, had the place of honour in the procession, and, save perhaps the pageantry, no part was lovlier than this. Dr Alice Bum, of Dunedin,, acted as standard bearer. Tho beautiful banner that was subscribed for by New Zealand women in London was of white moire silk with a fern tree in gold in tho centre, and a little below, on each side, a golden kiwi. The inscription “New Zealand” in gold letters was written across tho top, and at both sides and at the top was a baud of deep blue silk with Maori designs in gold and white. After the banner followed a company of New Zealand girls under a wonderful latticed cauopy of pink roses, and these drew on ribbons a tine triumphal car, also gaily garlanded, and with a tent-iiko roof of green and mauvo tulle and “manned” by more New Zealand girls, with a pretty Maori giri in a bower of green riding on top. Lady Stout, in a delicate gown and pretty toque, acted a leader from tho starting point opposite the Temple to the Park lane corner of Piccadilly, but there, owing to fatigue, had to drop out and allow her place to be taken by Dr Amy Gibbs. Miss Stout and Miss Yal Burn ’acted as standard bearers, and Miss Van Asch and Miss Davis as banner bearers.

Besides these the following New Zealanders took part, many others who were, for reasons of illness, etc., prevented from walking bo great a distance (about five miles or more altogether) sending contributions to mark their sympathy:—Mrs Searlo Grossmann, Mrs Hamelin, Miss Young, Mias T. C. Young, Mrs G. F. Cluloe, Miss Morshead. Miss George, Miss Blanch Richmond, Miss Pinkney, Mrs Luxtou, Miss Luxton, Mrs Braddou. tho Rev. W. Smith and Mrs Smith, Master Marcus Smith, Miss Russell, Mrs H. D. A. Major, Mis Lilly, Mrs McFaggart, • Miss Gilliatt, Miss Osbomo Lilly, Mrs H. Grey, Mrs Harverson, Miss Parker, Miss McKenna, Mr Fred Delamere, etc., etc. Carriages: Mrs C. C. MacMillan, Miss McMillan. Miss Fosbery (sister of Lady Mills) and others.