Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-09
FOREIGN NEWSMEN
TOSEE CORONATION
British Authorities Allow 100
Inside Abbey for Great
Spectacle.


honest attempt is being made by the
British authorities to meet the great
demands Of newspapers all over the
world for their correspondents to re-
ceive seats in Westminster Abbey to
see adequately and report the coro-
nation Of King George and Queen
Elizabeth.
The record Of past royal functions
in this country is not conspicuous
for help given by the authorities to
newspaper men, but this time it would
seem as If the British government is
awake to the immense importance Of
facilitating the work Of the press as
far as possible.
The handling Of press accommoda-
tons in the abbey is being worked
through a joint coronation press
committee, which was formed some
months ago and on which represent
atives Of all constituted newspaper
bodies in London were invited to
serve. The Association of American
Correspondents, the Foreign Press
Association, the Institute of Journal
lists, the National Union of Journal
lists, tie Newspaper Proprietors' Asso-
citation and other bodies, including
representatives Of press photographers,
have representatives on the COM
mittee.
Two Dozen Americans.
The committee is in direct and
constant touch with the earl mar
shall, the Duke of Norfolk, who has
sole administration in the ordering
OF the coronation ceremony. After
much discussion it was finally de-
cided to allot 100 seats in the abbey
to foreign correspondents, including
about two dozen to Americans. This
Is far more than was expected, be-
cause the abbey, which is not a
large, spacious building, will be
crammed to the last inch.
More than 1000 persons will be
admitted to the abbey for the coro-
nation, and they will sit there for
six to eight hours before, during and
after the long ceremony. Enormous
tiers of seats have been built right
up to the roof, and the press seats
have been tucked away in the tri-
1orlum, somewhere near the high al
tar but, alas, not all OF them over
looking it.
1t may safely be said that many
newspaper men will not see much Of
the ceremony. This fact has been
recognized to the extent of permit
ting reporters who are to attend the
coronation to be present at the final
dress rehearsal May 10, when more
convenient seats will be given them.
The committee has done its work
SO well that there is no complaint
on the manner In which the seats
will be allotted.
Dispatching Messages.
The next puzzle was to devise the
oest way for the reporters to pass out
their messages for dispatch abroad.
The system decided upon provides
Tor a number OF SILENT footed mes
sengers to stand behind the press
seats and take the messages unob-
huslvely from the correspondents
who themselves will not be allowed
to move, since they might disturb the
atmosphere Of the abbey.
Just outside the abbey 81 so-called
cabinets have been erected by the
general post office, and within them
have been placed 2 call Offices. 9
exchange lines, 10 private wires and l
direct Circuit to the central telegraph
once. Individual papers or associa-
tions can hire one of the boxes, from
which a telephone line would be run
directly to its Office and be perma- :
nently kept open. 1t is also possible
for several correspondents to club to-
gether to have an exclusive line on
which to call up their several Offices
but which would not be available to
any one else. Finally there are also
just ordinary call boxes for Use as
required. The direct circuit to the
general telegraph Office is for high
speed work by government telee-
kaphers.
In addition to these varied lines
There also will be pneumatic tubes
connecting the abbey with the vari-
GUS cable companies, so that mes
sages sent through the tubes can be
put on the cable at the ompanies,
ofices
Copyright, 1887 by the North American
Newspaper Alliance Inc)