Sneering at the Coronation

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 September 1911, Page 4

Sneering at the Coronation

HOW THE NEW YORK "WORLD" "REPORTED" JT. The American newspapers spent = vast sums of money on cablegrams reporting the Coronation and t'he various festivities. Conspicuous anions them, the Now York World set itself tlie task ol sneering at ami belittling the ceremonies at every ix>int. The "reports" cover pages of cablegrams from gentleman who did their best to bnrlc-qiie the historic pageants. For instance, the World's London co:respondent, who is also London co-respondent of the chief Irish National isi paper in Dublin, states that he mi.ssp:l the? "inborn note of sincerity ami enthusiasm without which all tlie elaborate symbolism and display bceiine mechanical and meaninsrkss. 1 ' Tlv? Prints of Wales and his sistev. the Pri;icps« Mary, were cheered, sa-vs this ::!.-sr>i".-or, but the cheers - -had the faintest note of goodnhumourerl mcokery at their self-import-•*anoe. . . • The lving looked bore:l in tho Abbey. Mr Frank Harris, described as •editor of Vanity Fair (he is not), cabled:—"ln England snobbery gets worse and worse. London has become the home of all the worst snobs in the world. . . . The truth is that the whole thing is <a show and nothing more, a mere husk, tlie soul of it all de;id and gone long ago." Mr James Douglas found time to put en the cables the burden of over- ' wrought sensation after having seven hours in the Abbey. "The an- • omting.' he wires, '"'was really a 1 very farcical rite. . . . It was very droll. Tlie Archbishop rubbed oil on top of the King's ihead. He ■ carefully a.nointed tire bald patch ■" like a tonsnre. ... It was absurd," cabled Mr Dnglas. "to see an " o!d bald-headed man like the Archbishop of Canterbury actually kneeling before the King witli clasped ■-•lifi-n-'ls and sanctimonious air, and ti-en torching the King's crown wi£h hfi.nd nnrl kissing the King on the loft eVek. It was pathetic as well as (Vrill to see the King's uncle trying to kneel down at the bottom of . the steps of the throne instead of at the top. The Duke of Connn.ii.rrht is old enough to be tlie King's father. Tt struck me as rather 'Jirnngruons to .set him on his knees before his brother's son."