EMPIRE DAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 389, 26 May 1908, Page 2

EMPIRE DAY.

Celebrations In Great Britain. London, May 33. The Empire Day celebrations in Great Britain were spread over three days. A million children attending the schools in Isauted the flag yesterday, and lectures and exercises relating to the movement were* given in one thousand schools.

The municipal councils at Battersea and Poplar refused to fly the flag. The display of bunting in the West End of London was' greater than ever,before. In the East End hundreds of the poorest children purchased small flags. The boys of Eton College presented a Union Jack to the elementary schools of Eton.

At Greenwich School a flag from the Greenwich School in New South Wales was unfurled.

The King’s Thanks.

London, May 23. The Earl of Meath, through the Hon. J. H. Carruthers, late Premier of N 9w South Wales, sent a message of sincere thanks for Australia’s enthusiastic support of the Empire movement. In company with ten million other loyal subjects, he urged’ them not to forget the spirit of the movement as expressed in its watchwords: duty, sympathy, and self-sacri-fice,” If these ideals were impressed in the home and the school upon the rising generation, they would become worthy citizens of the mightiest Empire in the world. At the Loudon County Council’s. instance a patriotic programme of lessons on citizenship was conducted in nearly every school, and the flag was also saluted. London’s lead is being generally followed in the provinces.

King Edward thanked the Eondon scholars for their message of loyalty. The Duchess of Albany distributed prizes at the Esher National Schools, where Lord Meath addressed the children on how to best help the Empire, and., Senator Dobson, of Australia, recommended universal training in drilling and shooting to enable them all to defend the Empire. Lords Tennyson and‘Meath, Mr Rudyard Kipling” Captain Raison (late British Resident in the New Hebrides), Senator Dobson, and Councillor Weedon (late Lord Mayor of Melbourne) spoke at a similar demonstration by the Boys’ Brigade’s hands at Shepherd’s Bush. A large school at Beckham has been temporarily transferred into a museum tor the display of products v of the. Motherland and the colon* f ies, lent by Mr Traverner, the W Victorian Agent-General, and" others. The scholars have been much interested.

Mr Heuniker-Heaton, M.P. for Canterbury, presented flags from the Canterbury and Parramatta Schools, New South Wales, to two Canterbury schools. - Mr Carruthers, ex-Premier of New South Wales, addressing a thousand scholars at Canterbury, emphasised that the loyalty of Australians to the flag was because it was an emblem of liberty, national security, and empire. He stated that 2500 New South Wales schools were celebrating Empire Day. The Mayor of Canterbury returned thanksfor the flag. The headmaster of King’s School,' Canterbury, and the Dean of Canterbury eulogised Bishop Broughton’s foresight in permanently establishing at the heart of Australia a school embodying the noblest ideals of English life.

Mr Henniker-Heaton stated that King’s Schools, Canterbury, and the Parramatta School, were modelled on the same lines, only the Australian scholars wore the volunteer’s uniform.

The Dean hoped that soon everybody in England would enjoy military discipline.

Sydney, May 24, Empire Day was celebrated by a large church parade by the troops. The Governor (Sir Harry Rawson) was present.