THE MAYFLOWER

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 32, 2 November 1920, Page 7

THE MAYFLOWER

300 TH ANNIVERSARY OF HER SAILING PICTURESQUE SCENES AT ' PLYMOUTH ' Tho tercentenary celebrations of the sailing of the Mayflower with the Pilgrim Fathers culminated in a. series .of events at. Plymouth on September 6, lasting: from early morning till lute tit- nia'ht. There were among other things a confereuce, a civic lurioheon, a banquet, the laying of fouiSdationvStones, and the openin;; of buildings, a Free Church demonstration, which was also a -tribute to tlio Pilgrim Fathers, concerts, and a performance of the pageant. But the central event' was a. procession through the streoifl of tho performers in the pageant and of the civio authorities and other representative people, ending in gatherings on the Barbican, from which lihe Pilgrims took their departure, and on -the Hoe, with which 60 many happenings in the history of Plymouth and the nation aro hssoeialed.

Although simple, t!he ceremonies on the Barbican wore most) improssive. The as* eeinbly included not only all who are prominent in the life of the town, but the many distinguished visitors who lir4 2011 c to Plymouth for the occasion. Anion); theni are many representatives of t'Jia United States and Holland, as well as men and women eminent in England. The Mayor and otlier civic Signatories woro their robes and chains of officc, and were .attended by the mace-bearers. Some of the bishops were also robed. ~ The whole scene was gay with flags, 'Jhe Stars and Stripes floating side.by side with the Union Jack, and the quay was packed with spectators. .At tho Mayflower stone Mr. Butler Wiiglit, the American Chargo A'Affaires,■ was prcsemjed with a silver replica of the Mayflower- which contained the freedom of Plvmouth. This is to bo sent to _ the. widow of Dr Pag®, formerly American Ambassador to Britain, in commemoration of his historic speech when America entered tho iVar. The replica was carried to tho Hoe by a pany of British bluejackets, and the celebrations were witnessed bv a vast crowd. _ Following this came the striking procession through the streets to the Iloe. Nothing like it had been seen in the town in living memory. All the leading people who bad assembled on til© jjfii'bican took part in it-municipal authorities. visitors, bishops, and other clergy, and'many others. Behind them about a couple of thousand boys and girls in the picturesque uniform of various organisations. - • The pageant party made a very eaective appearan-ce in tlieir 17th century costumes. Among them were Puritans, Indians, Dutch, soldiers, and a bnniL ot women vooalists in white with Puritan a speech at the Sailors' Hostel Lord Reading recalled his own experience of sea life. "It lias been my lot .in life, ho ssaid."among,."among many and varied occupations, to have been a sailor boy. very early in life, when, perhaps, there was not'so much comfort m thero 'L'w ■ when to sail iu nhofocslc of a sailing vessel was not exactly living in a draw-ing-room, the logons of the /sa. were taught me. and. there remained with me a sympathy for the sailoripan which I i shall never forget." ~ Lord Heading, at tho Con • memorative meeting in the Guildhall, ?ajd (hat thc> Pilgrims had two great outstanding charactoristice-faith in n cause and tenacity to hold to it. That England had the same characteristic was evidenced by her response to the call in 1914. And tho principles of liberty upon which the American Constitution was based were nurtured m England. The old characteristics of England' were the dominant note of America, and upon this sound basis for the erection of a commoit purpose ho niAdo an eloquent plea for unity between two peat Eng-lish-speaking peoples to maintain tlie peace of the world.