ROYAL TOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18511, 23 March 1922, Page 5

ROYAL TOUR

THE PRINCE AT COLOMBO. LOYAL AND WARM RECEPTION. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. COLOMBO, March 21, When the Prince landed he came into a different atmosphere. He found himself among friendly, sympathetic people, who gave him a loyal and warm reception. Instead of being hedged about with troops and police on the route, and being protected by riflemen ready 'to shoot at a moment’s notice, he motored pleasantly in an informal way, and unattended through the boulevards. Great crowds lined the route. It was a gala day throughout the island. Feasts were provided everywhere for the school children. To-morrow the Prince will inspect the local troops. He will go to Kandy on Thursday to attend a durbar, at which Kandy chiefs will participate. One hundred elephants will be a feature of the ceremonial. —A. and N.Z. Cable. [A correspondent writing shortly after the formal announcement that the Prince of Wales would visit Japan at ,tho ■ conclusion of his Indian tour referred to the anxiety that had been aroused in Japan due to grave doubts regarding the observance of the strict etiquette and formal procedure hitherto observed on all occasions connected with the api>eaxance of royalty in public. “During the recent visit of the Crown Prince of Japan to England,’’ wrote the correspondent, “there were several incidents which horrified those accustomed to the rigid (perhaps frigid is the better word) reservations of Japanese etiquette. For example, when the Crown Prince went to Daly’s 'Theatre, he frequently applauded the performers, and Miss Jose Collins was the recipient of a magnificent floral offering from the Imperial visitor. Such things are impossible in Japan. Then, again, at the Guildhall, the Lord Mayor of London and the Lady Mayoress sat in the centre of the platform with the Prince of Wales on one side and the Crown Prince of Japan on the other. This, too, is impossible in Japan. But perhaps before Edward of Wales reaches Tokio the sticklers for ancient etiquette will gracefully bow tp the inevitable, and consent to the rapid destruction of the miles of red-tape and gold-lace which at present distinguish all ceremonies in .fanan coming within the orbit of the Imperial Household Department. “The fact is that the homely enthusiasm shown during the visit to Britain of the Crown Prince has given a severe shock to the conservative element in Court Circles, and the coming of the Prince of Wales raises similar perplexing problems for them to grapple with in .Japan. One thing is certain —there will have to be a big departure from precedent in many official functions. The Crown Prince himself will insist upon a more liberal attitude on matters of etiquette, based upon his own novel experiences while in England, and the Japanese press is also eager to see a departure made from the old conservative ideas which insisted that gold-hiice and silk-hats were essential tributes to loyalty on every occasion, and frowned upon any vocal or physical demonstration of enthusiasm as disrespectful. In other words, after all that has been said aliout Oriental ‘inscrutability’ and impassiveness, the Prince of Wales is likely to bo as pleasurably surprised by the character of his reception by the Japanese people os the Crown Prince was by the cordiality of the crowds in England.” The Prince of Wales will arrive in Japan during the most pleasant season of the year, when the millions of cherry trees that adorn the public thoroughfares, gardens, and even the hillsides of Japan will be robed in their wonted clouds of flimsy-misted bloom, and Japan will be all arrayed in her matchless vesture of spring.]