BLAZE OF COLOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25829, 27 April 1945, Page 6

BLAZE OF COLOUR

SAN FRANCISCO OPERA HOUSE CONFERENCE OPENED SAN FRANCISCO, (Rec. 11.50 p.m.) Apl. 25. The Opera House auditorium blazed with colour when 3300 delegates, advisers, consultants, cameramen, and reporters assembled to see the first steps taken in forming an organisation to banish war. The colours ranged from the sky blue of the stage backdrop through splendid golds and rich creams to the plush red of the auditorium seats in the body of the hall. The sombre tones of war-time khaki and blue uniforms provided a contrast. Of the best-known' delegates, Mr Molotov arrived first. The whole Soviet delegation lined up behind him as he walked in. He picked a place two seats from the aisle. While half a dozen of his delegation crowded past to empty seats beyond, a short distance away General Smuts sat thoughtfully fingering the head of a cane, possibly harking back to Versailles, which failed in its objective to remove war’s scourge, Mr Anthony Eden arrived about 4.20 p.m., soon after Mr Molotov. Mr Eden, Mr Molotov, and Dr Soong had no part in the official I ceremonies, which were reserved for the United States, the host Government of the four sponsoring Powers. Mr Truman, Mr Stettinius, Governor Warren (California), and Mr Roger Lapham, the Mayor of San Francisco, were the only speakers. , ... The opera stage was decorated witn a severity of line, but in lavish colour. Well in front of the blue backdrop stood a curving row of four golden columns, which some said stood for the four freedoms, others for the four sponsoring Powers. Between the columns the flags of 46 United Nations rested on white standards. Delegates Arrive

The delegations filed steadily into the great hall, and just before starting time the building was filled with the hum of voices, many languages symbolising unity of purpose, even if opinions were divergent. Representatives of eacn American armed service, men and women, marched from the wings and took station before the flags and behind the speakers’ chairs. Then Mr Stettinius and his party appeared on the stage. Seeing the delegates rise. Mi Stettinius requested them to sit down for a moment's silent prayer. He himself took a chair, then rose, arranged his coat with one hand, and said to the delegates: “ The Presidenl of the United States ** There was a brief pause. Then Mr Truman’s voice came through loudspeakers, broadcast from Washington. His voice was firm and easily audible. The President spoke rapidly. At the conference officials’ request this address was not interrupted by applause. The delegates sat under brilliant floodlights streaming from either side of the hall, and the only flicker of noise came from an occasional photographer s flash-bulb and the official stenographer s machine. A breeze off-stage ruffmd the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes, stirred the colours of other flags along th Army cars, navy buses arid limousines brought the delegates to the hall through streets blocked with other traffic! Outside the auditorium thousands of spectators waited all day for a glimpse of the world readers as they entered the Opera House. Intermittent rain did not deter them. Inside half of the delegations were seated m roughly alphabetical order, with Australia in the first row at the right. Movie and still cameramen were present in great numbers, filling most of the boxes and rejoicing in the chance to photograph more of the world’s great (men than since Versailles. Above them were 24 spotlights capable of making the stage as bright as a Hollywood set. Newspapermen filled some of the boxes and part of the press circle just above the line of boxes. Seats in the gallery were occupied by members of the public wHo were lucky enough to get a ticket for one of the world’s most significant spectacles. A band offstage helped to break the tedium of waiting, playing appropriate airs, among them “Stout-hearted Men. Opening Ceremony The opening ceremony lasted 31 minutes. An announcement intimated that all the chiefs of the delegations will meet at 10.30 a.m. to-morrow. A plenary session will be held at 3.30 p.m. Mr Molotov remained incommunicado again as far as the press was concerned. A cordon of 15 hefty Soviet citizens surrounded him whenever he appeared in public. The difference between the Soviet and _ American customs was shown when grim-looking Mr Molotov appeared with a bodyguard at the “Big Four” meeting at Fairmont Hotel, while Mr Stettinius and Mr Eden walked through the lobby smiling and conversing without apparent special protection. Two Central New York religious leaders joined to-day in criticising the absence of an opening prayer at the San Francisco conference. Bishop Foery s , of Syracuse (Roman Catholic), said it was unthinkable that the conference should be opened without prayer. Bishop Peabody (Episcopalian), of Central New York, recalled that no prayers were said at the Paris peace conference in 1919 and it accordingly filled him with regret and apprehension for the future, as he considered the possibility of history repeating itself. San Francisco observers pointed out that a multitude of religions was represented by the attending delegates and the fact that some have no religion posed a difficult problem on a form of prayer. The New York Times placed before the delegates at breakfast yesterday a four-page edition of The Times published in New York at 2 a m. yesterday and printed in San Francisco from engravings made from wired photos of the This experiment in " facsimile ” reproduction is the first of its kind in the history of journalism Four pages were photographed in haK pages and transmitted in the same wav as telephotos. After receipt the half pages were developed, printed, placed together, and re-photographed by the ordinary half-tone process.