THE PRINCEIN SYDNEY

Hokitika Guardian, 6 July 1920, Page 4

THE PRINCEIN SYDNEY

THE IDOL OF THE CROWDS

SYDNEY, June 23

Those who have known this city all their lives declare that they have never seen the people so “worked up” as they are this week in their enthusiastic regard for the Prince of Wales. The young man, in the fullest sense, has been seen and has conquered. It is a most remarkable tribute to ltis kindly human qualities. It cannot be too strongly emphasised that Sydney crowds are uncertain and difficult to arouse. They were mightly interested in the visit of the heir to the Throne, hut they by no means took him at the valuation of New Zealand and Melbourne. They were quite prepared to find that it was all so much Imperialistic “boost, ing”-; and if they had not liked the Prince, he and the outside world would have known it promptly and unmistakably. But the Prince, from the moment be landed a week ago, smiled his way into the hearts of the Sydney populace. He has been cheered, and feted, and, on two or three occasions, nearly smoth_ erod, but huge crowds on every occasion on which he has appeared in public. Almost every day he has had to pass through the main streets to some function or other; and every day, in consequence, one has seen the traffic services disorganised by the incredible crowds and long lines of tranicars waiting motionless in the narrow thoroughfares. The crowds have increased as the tlays passed. The fame of the Prince’s lovableness seems to have stirred the suburbs to a wild excitement; so that, every day, tens of thousands of women and children have poured into the city, have taken up positions in dense masses in the gaily decorated streets through which his Royal Highness was expected to pass, and have waited patiently for hours to get a glimpse of .him. And when presently the boy would he hurried past in his car, smiling liis ever-ready smile, scrupulously saluting the excited thousands, these very democratic Australians would cheer wildly. They had got a ninety-seconds’ thrill for perhaps two fiours’ waiting—-yet they seemed well satisfied with the exchange.

The traffic authorities were prepared for great popular demonstrations, but the manner in which Sydney rushed to do homage to the Prince lias taken everyone by surprise. Such scenes as that described were of daily occurrence. The Prince attended Divine Service in 3t Andrew’s Cathedral on Sunday. For hours before, the street was packed, and the venerable building could not hold a tenth of the would-be church-goers. On Tuesday evening, the Royal visitor attended a theatrical performance at 8 o’clock. People began to gather in front of the theatre at 5 o’clock. His train was timed to leave for Canberra, “the bush capital,” at 10.35 p.m. on Sunday. Thousands gathered at the railway station to see him pass in the train, although it was a cold, miserable night. He was to lunch at the Town Hall at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. George street was blocked with the waiting throngs from noon onwards. They got only a glimpse of him as he went in. Vet a great proportion of them waited until after three o’clock just to see him come out again.

That has been the feature of every on e of the innumerahle functions ho has attended since he landed hore —the enthusiasm, almost adoration, of enormous crowds. The orderliness of the crowds has been most remarkable. Their temper has given the overworked traffic police no trouble at all—the only complaint tlio police have is their unwieldiness. Again and again their mere weight—that curious, irresistable thrust from the back that is always felt when thousands gather—has broken down the flinty wooden barriers, but the people have always held the line when urged to do so by the police. The only disorder and it was not deliberate—occurred yesterday in one of the Parks when the Prince was reviewing a great gathering of returned soidieru. Scores of thousands of impatient people were kept outside of a hollow square. But before tho Prince finished his inspection, the sides of the square gave way, and the human tide flowed up to and engulfed the Prince. He and his staff were seen for a few moments trying to fight their way to their cars. Then a large body of police among the returned men—whose ranks had by now been thrown into confusion —acting with commendable promptitude, under one of their officers forced their way through, formed a hollow square round the Prince, and escorted him to the official stand. Tke ground was then cleared and the programme carried out. It has been a Carnival Week in the city. Most of the upper and middle classes are involved in a whirl of gaiety, and brilliant balls and parties are the order of the day. The Prince has appeared here and there, at the more select functions, but the great majority of hostesses seem more than satisfied with the gay and dashing officers of the Prince’s staff, and from the Renown, [t may be said that the Prince has shown himself more ready to mix with the masses, rather than with the classes. The evening papers to-night, lor instance, publish photographs of him enjoying himself among the horses and horsemen at Rand wick, and a characteristic snap shows him jumping a hurdle in fine style. He is also shown reeeivig the scullers, Barry and Felton, and obviously much interested in their trophies. , . There has been an occasional bite in the wind, but generally the weather has been warm and sunny, and the Prince lias completely recovered from the cold he contracted in the bitter raw weather with which Melbourne greeted him. There is no doubt doubt that the Royal party are delighted with New South Wales ,and some have expressed regret that they must now go off to the south again. The Prince goes from here to West Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania. He come ß back to Sydney from Tasmania, hut merely passes through the city en route to Queensland. When leaving Australia in August, however, he takes his departure ■from Sydney, and that is certain to he mado tho occasion of another popular demonstration.