OCR Text |
Show iLONDQN PRESS PAYS TRIBUTE TO PRESIDENT LONDON, Dec. 27. The environ-! nient of President Wilson's second day m England was quieter than that of the first day. The only ceremonial, event was a state banquet in Bucki ingham Palace tonight which was not -1 able not only as a spectacle such as probably no other court in Europe can provide tho setting for. now that! the thrones of Russia, Germany and! Austria have disappeared bnt from the1 representative character of the meni ! summoned to meet the head of the! American government. Beside the! members of the royal family, the official offi-cial world was represented by the for- eign ambassadors to the court or St.' James, the heads of the government,' I present and past chiefs of the army! land navy, colonial officials and members mem-bers of the royal household. There! also were present dignitaries of the I church of England, representatives of universities and men high in the worlds of literature, art and Journal - ism. President Wilson escorted Queen I -Mary into the banquet hall, while j King George gave his arm to Mrs.' Wilson. j Today, however, was chiefly a work-! ing day with the president. Five hours j were taken up by two conferences with, David Lloyd George, tho British prime minister, and Arthur J. Balfour, foreign secretary on peace problems. This was the fulfilment of tho main purpose of the president's pilgrimage io London. ' For three hours in the morning President Wilson sat with Jlr. Lloyd i George and the foreign secretary before be-fore the open fireplace in the president's presi-dent's apartment in Buckingham palace. pal-ace. The second meeting was in the cabinet room of the premier's residence resi-dence in Downing street. Tho two sessions were broken by .a luncheon at which Mr. Lloyd George gathered a dozen leading British statesmen o the Conservative, Liberal and Labor parties. par-ties. There was a picturesque incident after af-ter tho luncheon when President Wilson Wil-son unveiled a portrait of George Washington, presented to the premier's pre-mier's residence by Lord Albemarle. The interest of Londoners In President Pres-ident Wilson continues high. Crowds outside the palace and in Downing street awaited his coming all day, notwithstanding not-withstanding the rain and cheered his every appearance. Each time they saw President Wilson they demanded a speech, but each time the president shook his head negatively. The newspapers today were filled with tributes to the president, which undoubtedly have been the cause of a heightening in his personal popularity in London. it is expected that another reat gathering will witness tho progress oil the presider- to the Guild hall tomorrow tomor-row to receive the address of the Lord Mayor on i |