ud then the Crown is brought from the Altar. after prayer to God; and the Archbishop ver ently puts it upon the King's head. "And the people at the sight thereof with d and repeated shouts cry God save the That was the culminating indment a vemonth ago (cay in the greatest ritual known to the British State, the coronation of ts King and Emperor. It was the climax of months of preparation, of days of rejoicing. "The scenes of gaiety in the streets, the midnight revelry and greatest crowds in the history of London, made the occasion before and after Coronation one of London's Day and memorable. Such a note culminating in the awe-inspiring and solemn act of crowning in Westminster Abbey was never reached before in London.
The British Empire a few short months before hat passed through a constitutional c with a dignity acteristic of its people; the coronation, solemn as it undoubtedly was, provided an occasion fcr rejoicing and a ity which no Briton can look back upon without realising the beauty nay the sublimity of the whole proceedings. on such an anni ary, that ce in retrospect should be indulged in. hit has been. The peculiar cirs which brought King George VI and his Queen to the throne was in itself sufficient to endear them to the people over whom they were called to reign, but during the, past twelvemonths they have succeeded lengthening their hold upon the affections their ople, and have maintained the dignity British Crown in a manner worthy of the great family to which they long. His Majesty has worthily followed the traditions established by his father and by his actions has helped to establish a sense of s and faith in the efficacy of the British regal system. That in itself is no mean the British Throne did feat, for if undergo a vi derable shock at the end of the prev there is not the slightest doubt that Their Majesties have done much to strengthen its position, and clothe it with a dignity wholly commensurate with the worldwide importance of the British Empire.
A great deal of the history of any monarchy depends largely upon those representing in their persons the majesty of the State. But a short century ago the Court had fallen low in the respect of the people. One of the great feats of Queen Victoria long the Court in the work was carefully es of the nation. That her successors, and the past year that Their Majestic will not only maintain the traditions w h that great Queen estaplished, but will improve them, wherever that is possible. They are showing a very real interest in the welfare of the people over whom they reign, and only recently the Queen paid a visit to the distressed areas in South Wales and made a personal report by telephone to His Majesty on conditions as she found them. Tenement buildings have been inspected, and a general impression created monarchs' interest and sympathy with saple whose lot it is desired should be bettered. The bonds of sympathy which thus run through the British social structure, from the very highest to the most unfortunate, are a very important factor in the welding together of a nation. The quality of humanity with which ity so invests itself must necess: it to the nation at large. and it is to assert that never in the history of the nation have rona! succeeded in making themselves so completely loved by all ranks of society, and in so quick must be admitted that in the there is a tendency to regard h a degree of personal affec-latter by their conduct make that possible, but it is a fierce light which beats upon a throne and the completest loyalty may nevertheless at times prove critical. Th has been no perceptible criticism during thi i the manner in which Thei Majesties have carried cut their arduous functions: has proved that history has done the British race no ill service by bringing them to the Throne.
The British. Empire during year ha:
et through a critical time. At its com-the general international political tod bright, and it looked as ere going from bad to worse, Britain' Evropean created prospects of betterment. The ties with Frar ngthened and the forthcoming jostles to France should serve to draw the two countries even clos understanding has been achieved with Italy. Its value has yet to be proved, but there is every reason to believe that an improvement of Anglo-Italian relations will result from what has happened recently. Some progress is being made towards the general appeasement of Europe and a general.summing up of the whole situation that Great Britain is more fortunately situated now than when the crowded con-
®ation in Westminster vociferously' demonstrated their own loyalty and that of the rest of their nation to the two persons around or all the pomp and ceremony of Empiri as centred. Shanghai has passed through a bewildering year. No one thought when the martial sounds of royal salutes reverberated around the Race Course on two evenings so short a while ago, that in a very few months, almost exactly three, Shanghai would hear great organs of war play their hideous phony for months to come. None could ave anticipated the ruin and destruction which has been wreaked upon this unhappy city, or the damage which was to be done to foreign, and pre-eminently British interests. Few yet realize how great will be the full tale of damage, and this is mo occasion to dwell upon it. Rather will the British community turn their eyes for the day to that glorious picture of May 12, 1937, when their hearts travelled back over the thousands of miles to Westminster, where a King and his Queen were consecrated to the service of the British people. They will give heartfelt thanks that the couple represent all that is for the best in British characteristics and tradition, and will offer a prayer that Their Majesties will eng years to continue the go which they have started so well.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.