The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-28
Wellington, VAlallg1
WILSON AND WAAos
Such Arc Contrasting Thoughts, I5u-
-grndcred While Awaiting PrexJ-
DENTAL Procession mt Hyde
Park Plaza. London. sW
DUKE OF WELLINGTON LOOKS on
American BlucjaciSct Nearly FAILS Out
Of His Perch In Tree Wl,cn Hard
Strikes Up ''S:aF-Spagicd IsafiMerr
md He Essays attention. 1

London, Dec, Weliingl1n--
Waterloo-W ilson--Waacs. ~.
Such were the contrasting thoughts
engenedercd while awaiting the pyesi-
dental procession at the big plaza.
known as Hyde Park carnerg whissis ~
not SO large as Madison Square gar
den. but twice large az the Ferry
plaza in San Francisco, Yesterday AT
ternoon. II was packed ny thousands
OF would-be spectators 30 peiY cent
OF whom were eventually doomed to
disappointment. because the catrfiage
in which the president rodud beside
the king. was too low for Mnr ~ be
visible by any but four Or i've front
rows OF the vast throng which was
hundreds deep, with front Or 200
yards. tFfT"v
In the center of this Ilugesscrowd
which surged about him restlessly sat
high in the air on a great hqrs,a, tire
mighty Iron Duke" who mails. En-
rope safe n century ago by crushing
Napoleon's armies In paftugaIt .Yafid
Spain and finally NJ Waterl"Ae- IS.
Duke OF Wcil,igfon's statue.
This famous statue OF the Duke
of Wellington on horseback s-4uoa,nt-
ed upon hugh granite pliaih. ut
the fourA corners of this plinfltf stand.
Of n forty -second ~-Rigfiander. the
respectively the great rugged figures
and a Welsh ritleman. Whit a changes
the century has brought Onr'scould
imagine these stalwart figures sud-
denly irnbued with hfe what cN-
clamatiou. one Wondered would es-
cape the lips of the Iron Duke at the
sight of the huge French flag hanging
In front OF his own great gloomy
English guardsman an irish Dragon
mansion known as Apsiey house, and
presented to him after Waterloo by
a grateful people who sone Years
later in tickle anger over politics.
broke all the windows with rocks
thrown from tho plaza.
With the "FrencbieS' Yesterday was
an American blueiacket, who nearly
fell out of tree when A band struck
up the Star Spangled Banner and
he tried to stand at attention in his
lofty perch t4,
Ties That Bind.
The French. whom the Duke OF
Wellington and his deVotesf soldiers
! fought so desperately. are now bound
to their descendants by the closest ties
and the greatest sacrifices They are
now the warmest allies ofaPresident
Wilson and the British king riding
at his side. century ago such
thoughts. such an alliance such Scnu-
inc affection between the people OF
this country and Welington's enemies
on many battiefelds would have been
pronounced Impossible a,1est
In the present bond OF Eoo<is fnilow-
ship between the fierce enenies Of
Weilington's day. one may find a has sig
for the thought that the grear healer.
time, again will work miractes ana
also for the prediction that the future
will find as genuine esteem and friend
p, ship between the bitterest enemies of
| today. s1f
| Thus passes the procession, fresi-
! dent Wilson's carriage rolls swiftly
between two lines OF Waacs, women's
auxiliary army corps--lining both
sides of the route from Weliington's
statue to Buckingham palace.