Olympic Cavalcade

132 OLYMPIC CAVALCADE member of the Daily Mail staff, and to him Lord Rothermere and Tom Marlowe, the Council of the Governing Bodies, and every athlete who composed the British team, were undoubtedly indebted in no small measure. Early in September Brigadier-General Kentish, who had accepted the post of Hon. Secretary of the Appeals Committee, addressed a letter to the three Services and to the police forces throughout the country. The result of that Appeal far surpassed all hopes, a sum of approximately £2500 coming from the fighting Services and the police forces. With this welcome addition to the funds, the total rose to £25,000, and with the cities and towns making up their quot~s slowly but surely, a sum of £3o,ooo was well in sight, qnd when the Appeal closed, and the Official Report of the VIIIth Olympiad was written in September, 1924, a total of more than £27,ooo had been received. The Opening Ceremony of the VIIIth Olympiad took place in perfect weather at the Colombes Stadium on Saturday, 5 July, 1924. The Stands, capable of holding 6o,ooo people, were packed with spectators. The Stadium was encircled by the flags of all the fifty-five nations taking part. The teams entered the Stadium by the Marathon Gate, headed by SouthAfrica and termi– nated by Yugoslavia, and were played round the track by the bands of the Garde Republicaine and of three Regiments of the Line. As each team passed the Tribune of Honour the Standard-bearer lowered the flag of his country in salute to the President of the French Republic, who was seated with Their Royal Highnesses the Prince - of Wales and Prince Henry, the Crown Prince of Rumania together with the Crown Princess, Prince William of Sweden and all the Ambassadors and members of the Corps Diplomatique, including Their Excellencies the Earl and Countess of Crewe, His Grace the Duke of Sutherland and Her Grace the Duchess, the Earl and Countess of Cadogan, Lord and Lady Campden, the Rev. R. S. de Courcy Laffan, Brigadier-General R. J. Kentish, the Earl of Caledon, the Earl Fitzwilliam, Sir Emsley and Lady Carr and many other notabilities. America provided the greatest and most imposing team, Haiti the smallest. The British team upon that occ<;1sion afforded to the British spec– tators, of whom there were many, the greatest degree of national pride and satisfaction. It was headed by the pipers of the 2nd Battalion of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders and was, indeed, a source of pride to all Britishers. The costume was straw or white felt hats, blue blazers, bearing the Union Flag, and either white trousers or cream pleated skirts. The team was directed by Lieut-Colonel J. Betts, D.S.O., A.P.T.S., and led by Mr. Evan Hunter, O.B.E., Oxford, and Mr. Philip ~Baker, Cambridge, who was captain of the Athletic team. The swing and bearing of the Britishers earned great applause from the assembled spectators. From the Press Stand one looked down and one's mind went back to other days and other Olympiads when the vast importance of the Opening