The Washington times., 1937-04-30
NOW
coronation
Commentary"
BY HAMMOND
BY HELEN EsSARY

OOn TO look al GIlG AA4S ain eSuCSAA
on May IL may enjoy some OF the
exper.en ;eS of the late John Hays
Hammond, official representative
of this Government at the Coro-
nation of George v in June, 1911.
Mr.. Hammond. although q cltl-
zen of the world and a fabulously
successful mining engineer In the
Cecil Rhodes boom days in SouCn
Africa, says in his Autobiography"
that pageantry satisfies a fundac
mental human need" He entered
intellectually into the splendor
of the Coronation and wrote
amusingly of the personalities and
events of Great Britain at us
august best.
Mr.. Hammond had arrived in
London ahead of the official day
set by the government in order to
buy a proper ceremonial ward
robe. However, since all the for
eign delegations were supposed to
gather at Calais and cross the
channel by special boats, Mr.. Ham
mond went from London to Dover
to meet the three aides assigned
him by the British government
and ride to London on the special
train. At the station, he was
greeted by the Kings uncle, the
Duke of Connaught, waiting on
crimson carpet for the emissaries.
When the Coronation was over
and it was time to leave London,
Mr., Hammond found himself in an
even worse official position. The
foreign emissaries were scheduled
to 60 officially on June %, but
Mr.. Hammond had accepted
a speaking engagement before
American groups in London for
that night and for July 4. The
Duke of Connaught was con-
suited.
"He replied" according to Mr..
HammOnd'S writings, that 1t
could be arranged, but that l
should have to be cOnspicuOuSly
present in my frOck coat and
tall hat at the station where
could be seen by newspaper re-
pOrters and cameramen at the
official devastating. would
then board the train which
would stop q few hundred yards
down the track to let me out.
This all seemed very elaborate,
but it was carried through and
thus at both my arrival and my
departure official decOrum was
maintained"
While Mr. Hammond and his
family were in London their Of
ficial standing was indicated by
Royal Guard in scarlet jacket,
black pants and fur busby sta
toned in the sentry box outside
the door of their residence.
At dawn, 8 O'Clock Corona
ton morning, $4,000 police and
10000 soldiers were standing
along the line of march. After
the royal salute at 3:45 the Queen
came out on the balcony and
looked down at the multitude.
"It was raining when Lord
SandhurSt came at 8 o'clock to
escort me to the palace" said
MIR. Hammond. "He was attired
in a most gorgeous robe with
train IA feet long.
GIVE never seen anything so
MAGNIFICENT / exclai m e d.
Let's see you walk around.
want to watch how you manage
that train
"He looked at me reprOach-
fully. God forbid, Your Excel
Iency. Don't ask that Of me.
MY wife has had me parading
before the servants for hours.
You know we don't wear these
more than once in a lifetime.
Mr., Hammond was none too
happy at the simplicity of his own
official costume. Knee breeches
do not necessarily change an
American into a fawner on kings"
he says in the autobiography.
1.-THE American official costume is
so incongruous among velvetS,
brocades. and jewels that incon-
spicuousneSs, the purpose of its
plainness, is sometimes lost and
the wearer finds himself standing
out like Square-rigger in a fleet
of battle cruisers"
The morning after the Corona
ton, the Hammond family read
in the London Times: TN the
procession of Royal representatives
and guests were the Crown Prince,
conspicuous by his noble bearing,
with the Crown Princess, with the
Prince and Princess Higashi-Fu-
shimi of Japan, whose Oriental
robes contrasted with the plain
evening dress worn by Mr.. Hays
Hammond"
The Times did me an injus-
tice," protests Mr.. Hammond.
II wore the prescribed costume
and was not embarrassed by the
disturbing thought that Ameri-
can ambassadors were frequently
mistaken for walters owing to the
absolutely similarity of dress and
despite whatever air of superiority
they were able to convey"
The question of precedence,
thinks Mr.. Hammond, went deep
in the old days into the well
spring of the Old World attitude
towards us.
With a chuckle he tells of a
dispute with Prince Rupprecht of
Bavaria over the right-hand seat
in Westminster Abbey bound
carria0e The seat ASSIGNED Mr.