Evening star., 1923-06-15
RUNNYMEDE FAMED
4" AS HISTORIC SPOT
Signing of Magma Carta
lHThere 7O8 Years Ago Be-
III ing Celebrated.

Runnymede scene OF the singing Of
anniversary of which act is being
celebrated throughout the English
speaking world today. is the subject
r.f the following bulletin from the
Washington headquarters of the Ma
t.onal Geographic Society.
"Runnymede looms big in literature
krd oratory; seldom is liberty free
Gorn' or eonstitutionaltsn' spoken of
but that Runnymede is referred 70,
Bays the bulletin.
't3ut enc will look in vain for this
Place, whose name is familiar TO every
schoolchild. OIL amy save the largest
maps of the County uf Surrey. 1t is
only an inconsptcuOuS meadow, as ITS
Same diSrloSeS: and but for tradition
that makes it almost a holy place to
Ell EngliShmen, il might be passed ny
like hundreds of other pretty. level
green spots on the banks ~ the
Thames.
Located Near London.
"Runnyinede lies only five miles
down the Thames from Windsor, the
town which holds the most sumptuc us
the palaces OF the British kings
End which gave its name as an ENG
lsh family name to the present mon :
trch when. during the world war. his
German name became unacceptable.
tl'ile meadow i only some twelve or
fifteen miles upstream from London
50 close that the CIty'S citizen soldiers
siainta!n a rifle range for practice on
fhc edge Of the famous tract.
There : 4 conflict ~ opinions as 70
Whether Runnymede or Magma Charta
Eslaud, just off shore. was the site of
fhe signing Of the great charter. A gen.
orally accepted version OF the historic
S.Cident states that the army of baronS
eucamped IN Runnyme6e. that King
Johns followers remained on the oppU-
site bank of the stream, and that the
meetings between the monarch and the
leading barons took place on the little
sEland. A cottage on the island houses
IL stone slab on which it is asserted that
fine document was signed.
Form Accepted June 10.
Though the original Articles of the
Barons' were signed on June 15, 1915,
the day on which they We're presented.
rtsc provisions were not put III the form
June 10; so this day also might lay
aim TO the title. Magma Charta bay
2'uur more days We're taken up With the
.g.akins Of provisions for carrying out
the charter. During the entire period
OF a week and 4 day the haronial army
nymede. while King John rode over each
day from his palace at Windsor.
The great charter, which was
signed at ltunnymede or on its
nearby island, has been pretty we'll
accepted as the greatest document in
English history. Some commentators
have gone so far as to see in 1t the
creator OF the English constitution
or today. Other English students of
the charter feel that it did not differ
materially from other charters grant
Cd by earlier kings, but that 1t has
leen especially valuable on account
Cf the dramatic situation surround
Eng its signature and because of the
3deals, formulated because Of the
reverence for the document shown
" Subsequent generations. Accord
31g t. such views it harbored the
germs which later developed into TN
= rit OF ha beus corpus, trial by jury
rnd the parliamentary system
One Main Provision Cited.
A very large part OF Magma Charta
vas devoted TO restraining the kings
taxing powers and 10 setting out
1eudal procedure, the latter a field
now wholly without practical inter-
est. Nor We're all the steps taken
sn Magma Charta forward steps. 1t
sanctioned the trial by ordeal, pro
.ided credible witnesses were pres
snt. One paragraph provides that
Go one shall be arrested on the ap-
peal of a woman, except on the
charge of causing the death of her
husband. The reason assigned for
SHts reform was that woman could
tot prove her case in the judicial
combat"