Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-06-28
Geographic News
Bulletins by the
National Geographic Society
O kuNNYMEnE

Runnymede, scene of the signing
of the historic Magma Carta, the
7OSth anniversary of which act was
celebrated throughout the English
speaking world June Is, is the sub
ject of the following bulletin from
the Washington. DC, headquarters
of the National Geographic Society:
"Runnymede looms big in litera-
ture and oratory; seldom is liberty
freedom or 'constitutionalism'
spoken of but that Runnymede is
referred to- says the bulletin.
But one will look in vain for this
place, whose name is familiar to
every school child, on any save the
largest maps of the county of Sur
rev.. 1t is only an inconspicuous
meadow, as Its name d~iscloses; and
but for tradition that max it al
most a holy place to all Englishmen,
ii might be passed like hundreds of
other pretty level, green spots on
! the banks of the Thames.
Only Few Miles From London
"Runnymede lies only five Lilies
down the Thames from Windsor,
the town which holds the most
sumptuous of the palaces of the
British kings, and which gave its
name as an English family name to
the present monarch when, during
the World War, his German name
became unacceptable. The meadow
is only some twelve or fifteen miles
upstream from London-so close
hal the city's citizen soldiers MAIN
tain a rife range for practice on the
edge Of the famous tract.
There is a conflict of opinions
as to whether Runnymede CT Magma
Carta Island, just off shore, was the
site of the signing of the Great
Charter. A generally accepted yer-
sion of the historic incident states
that the army of barons eLeamped
on Runnym ede, that King Johns
followers remained on the opposite
bank of the stream, and that the
meetings between the monarch and
the leading barons took place on
the little island. A cottage on TIE
island houses a stone slab on which
it is asserted hal the document was
signed.
Though the original Articles of
the Barons' were signed on June
is, 1915, the day on which they
were presented, the provisions were
not put in. the form of a charter
and executed by John until June 10;
so this day also might lay claim to
the title, Magma Garta Day. -Four
more days were taken up with the
making of provisions for carrying
out the charter. During the entire
period of a week and day the ba-
ronial army remained encamped un-
der arms at Runnymede, while King
John o over each day from his
palace at Windsor.
The Great Charter which was
signed at Runnymede or on its
nearby island has been pretty we'll
accepted as the greatest document
in English history. Some common
tators have gone so far as to see in
it the creator of the English Consti-
tuition Of today. Other English
students of the charter feel that it
did not differ materially from other
charters granted by earlier kings,
but that it has been especially val
liable on account of the dramatic
situation surrounding its signature
and of the ideals, formulated be-
cause of the reverence for the docu-
ment shown by subsequent genera
lions. According to such views 1t
harbored the germs which later de-
corpus; trial by jury and the parlia-
corpu. trial by jury and the parlia-
mentary system.
"a very large part of Magma Carta
vas devoted to restraining the
Kings taxing powers and to setting
out feudal procedure, the latter a
field now wholly without practical
interest. Nor were all the steps
taken in Magma Carta forward steps.
1t sanctioned the trial by ordeal
provided credible witnesses were
present. One paragraph provides
that no one shah be arrested on the
appeal of a woman, except on the
charge of causing the death of her
husband. The reason assigned for
this reform was that a
could not prove her case in the judi
cial combat"