Evening journal., 1911-06-22
"WASTE" IN
CORONATION
England's Poor Think Millions
Could Have Been Spent
to Better Advantage
BEGGARS EAT SCRAPS
FROM ROYALTIES LUNCH

BY The United Press.
LONDON, June 22.-The belief in
the minds of countless thousands of
British subjects that today's expendi-
ture of millions in the coronation OF
King George and Queen Mary was
wanton waste of money that might
better have been spent to relieve the
widespread poverty in the empire,
served to dampen popular enthusiasm
for the coronation and gave an in
auspicious start to the reign of the
new King and Queen.
The contrast of starving beggars
gathering the scraps that fell from
the lunches Of those in the reviewing
stands with the glittering pageant Of
royalty was so marked that the peo-
pie could not cheer the new rules with.
whole souled enthusiasm. There
were salvos of God Save the King
it is true. the entire populace. seemed
under restraint, that from a court
standpoint. rendered the situation al
most desperate.
Lord Kitchener kitchener of
Khartoum." who was in charge of the
military preparations, won the dis
favor of their Maiesties for his car
like edicts, that are now known 70
have kept thousands from the route Of
the procession. Kitchener's prepara-
tions savored so strongly of Russian
repression, particularly his barricad-
ing of the streets, that he is nov
being blamed everywhere for max
ing the historic event approach
fissco, as far as popular enthusiasm
was concerned.
Kitchener threw a wet blanket on
the festivities" the King is reported
to have remarked to one of his aides,
after returning to the palace.
The organizers of the affairs bid
for an enormous turnout, the greatest
ever known in the worlds history, but
circumstances initiated against the
fulfllment OF their hopes. Eary rain
PLAYED their share but fear of being
mistreated by the soldiers or of be-
ing forced to endure unnecessary hard
ships in furtherance of Kitchener's
whims, undoubtedly was the chief
contributing factor
London has often seen larger crowds
than assembled today and as for pop
ular enthusiasm, the demonstration
TODAY fell short of numerous past oc-
casions.
If the show in the outside was a dis
appointment the same cannot be said
of the actual coronation. Inside the
Abbey. there was the utmost enthusi-
asm that eliminated in a mighty cheer
when the trembling hands of the
Archbishop of Canterbury finally
placed the crown on Georges head.
King Perturbed.
The striking feature of the corona
ton itself was the difference in tenn
peraments displayed by the King and
Queen. George was intensely nervous
from beginning to end. He repeatedly
wiped the perspiration from his brow
snd the scepter shook in his hand. He
seemed agitated and hardly to know
what he was doing. His answers to tho
questions put to him by the Arch
hishop of Canterbury we're answered
almost inaudibly.
Mary. however. appeared complete
" at ease. Several times she smiled
and went through her brief ceremony
as composedly as though it we're an
everyday occurrence.
An effort will be made to retrieve
today's failure in tomorrows royal
progress," when their Majesties will
traverse several miles of London's
streets. The crowd today was so far
short of expectations that 1t was not
necessary to close a single one of the
massive barricades that Kitchener
had thrown across the intersecting
streets
The casualty list today was surpris-
inely small There we're scores of
Paintings and a number Of persons
injured but no serious mishaps were
reported.
Untold Wealth In Procession.
One of the most remarkable feat
ures of the day was the striking con-
trast between the fashionable crowds
in the expensive reviewing stands and
the untold wealth represented in the
procession and the poverty of the
masses on the sidewalks and the ac-
tusl beggars who hung on the fringe
of the crowds.
Despite the fact that most Of those
that crowded the sidewalks were
dressed in their best clothes, their
poverty was all too apparent The
contrast would have been painfully
acute had not the police early In the
day driven the army Of beggars from
the vicinity of the professional route.
A violent outcry is also being rails
ed against the wasting OF $250000
worth of fuel in the $500 beacon fires
that are TO blaze tonight on as many
hills throughout the empire in cele-
bration of the coronation. The So
cialist leaders have pointed to the
fact that countless thousands will
suffer for lack of fuel next winter
and that tonight's wastefulness is an
actual crime.
The leader, one of the organizers
of the laboring class, declared today
Were the monarch the savior Of
the people. the tribute of reverence
could hardly be more pronounced.
Yet there has been a decrease in the
real reverence felt for the crown.
One glance beneath the bunting shows
that the. manifestation, so far as the
rank and file is concerned, Is devoid
Of royalist Significance"
nt tnnrcnc nN urCTT