SPLENDID OVATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 June 1939, Page 6

SPLENDID OVATION

GIVEN IN WASHINGTON TO KING AND QUEEN

Royal Progress Down Pennsylania Avenue

CHAPTER OF HISTORY RECALLED

THE BURNING OF THE CAPITOL By Telegraph.—Press Association.— Copyright. (Received This Day, 12.40 p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 8. The newspapers agree that no visitors to Washington hate ever been given, a greater ovation, than their Majesties. The record crowd of 600,000 strained against the wire ropes lining the footpaths, shouting and waving, and several times threatened to break through the rows of 1,200 police and six thousand soldiers. , Comment, on their Majesties’ youth, charm and dignity were overheard in all quarters. The crowd began to form at 2 a.m. and up to thirty dollars was paid for a window overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue. The temperature of eighty-nine degrees was distressing for the Kino- who was in an open car in full dress naval uniform. A man dropped dead during the Royal progress and 250 persons were treated for heat prostration. The noisy back-firing of the tanks struck a strange note. One caught fire and was abandoned. The route had historic .implications—l2s years ago, 4,500 British sailors, after scattering the .American defenders and setting fire to the halffinished Capitol, moved down the avenue and burned the White House. A typical manner of the American Press recalling such history is the newspapers’ expression of hope that their Majesties will be careful with matches tonight.

SEAN RUSSELL RELEASED ON BAIL ANONYMOUS WARNING. ALLEGED PREPARATION OF BOMBS. (Received This Day, 12.45 p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 8. A variety of incidents connected, in one way or other, with the visit of their Majesties were: —Firstly, an announcement of the release of Sean Russell (Irish Republican Army Chief of Staff), in Detroit, on bond, thus obviating the threat made by some Congressmen to boycott the Congressional reception to their Majesties tomorrow. Russell will be given a hearing on Saturday, on a deportation warrant charging him with overstaying a 'thirty days’ visitor’s permit; secondly, Representative Sweeney announced from the floor of the House, to some applause, that he had telegraphed the King, reminding him of Britain’s war debt to the United States; thirdly, the State Department disclosed that it had received an anonymous warning, which ■ had been forwarded to the New York police, containing the addresses of fifteen

dance halls, bars and other places, which, the writer said, were meeting places of« Radical organisations where, if search were made, bombs would be found which had been prepared for their Majesties. The police immediately placed cordons round the places mentioned.