At Wembley

COMMONWEALTH

(British Commonwealth of Nations)

On St. George's Day, King George opened the British Empire Exhibition. With the King were Queen Mary, the Prince of Wales, other members of the Royal Family, "all the King's horses and all the King's men."

As the King and his entourage entered the exhibition grounds in four State carriages, escorted by the Royal Horse Guards--a picture of scarlet, gold and steel--the Royal Standard was hoisted to flutter in the wind alongside the Union Jack. Seemingly in the shadow of these two emblems floated the flags of every dominion, colony and dependency of the Commonwealth. This medley ot flags was symbolic of an empire of 13,356,751 square miles and 449,370,000 people of all races, colors and creeds united under the rule of one Sovereign, His Most Excellent Majesty, George the Fifth, by the Grace of God King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.

The Prince of Wales, President of the exhibition, in turning it over to the King for its formal opening, said:

"Your Majesty: As President, I ask you graciously to declare open to your people this British Empire Exhibition. . . .

"I hope, sir, that the result of this exhibition will be to impress vividly upon all the peoples of your empire the advice you have given to them on more than one occasion--that they should be fully awake to their responsibilities as heirs of so glorious an heritage and that they should be in nowise slothful stewards, but that they should work unitedly and energetically to develop resources of the empire for the benefit of the British race, for the benefit of those other races which have accepted our guardianship over their destinies and for the benefit of mankind generally."

King George replied:

"It gives me the greatest pleasure and satisfaction ito come here with the Queen for the purpose of opening the British Empire Exhibition. . .

"I am happy to welcome the representatives, official and unofficial, of my Dominions beyond the seas. . . .

"You have said that your object has been to produce a picture of our Commonwealth of Nations. No one can doubt that this has been fully attained. The exhibition may be said to reveal to us the whole empire in little, containing within its 220 acres of ground a vivid model of the architecture, art and industry of all the races which come under the British flag.

"It represents to the world a graphic illustration of that spirit of free and tolerant cooperation which inspired peoples of different races, creeds and ways of thought to unite in a single commonwealth and contribute their varying national gifts to one great end. . . .

"And we hope further that the success of the exhibition may bring lasting benefits not to the empire only but to mankind in general. No nation or group of nations can isolate itself from the main stream of modern commerce, and if this exhibition leads to greater development of the material resources of the empire and expansion of trade, it will at the same time be raising the economic life of the world from the disorganization caused by the War.

"I declare the British Empire Exhibition open, and I pray that by the blessing of God it may conduce to the unity and prosperity of all my peoples and to the peace and well-being of the world."