The Washington times., 1901-12-08
SURPRISED BY
ROYAL SPEECH.
Prince Of Wales London
Address q Revelation.
A STRONG CHARACTER AND LIND
English People Awaken to q Real
ization OF the Talent of the Heir
to the Throne Gives Promise of
Being g Wise Statesman.

LONDON, Dec. THE evolution CT the
Prince Of Wales has interested the Brit
ish public in the present week more than
any other matter-of general concern His
visit to the city. and what he said there.
were more or less OF a revelation TO the
country in regard to the personality and
character OF the heir to the throne
The truth has been that the Duke of
York was never much in the public eye,
and The popular impression OF him, while
not unfriendly On the whole, has been
vaguely tolerant lie never won the warm
place in the public affections whicn his
tactful and very human father won at a
much earlier age. lie had no opportuni-
ties to display his individuality. and per
hnps it was only natural that from this
lack OF evidence OF any special talents
came tseit belief in their absence.
English People Surprised.
Ii was welcome surprise, therefore,
TO the English people yesterday IN read
a speech from his lips which really said
something, and which carried ideas at
once sound. thoughtful, even eloquent. 1t
was much above the average of royal ut
terances. Cynics at once assumed that
the prince merely repeated words put into
his mouth by a convenient bureaucra.
whose duty 1t is to write royal speeches.
This is an absolute injustice. The prince
not only wrote this excellent address to
the citizens OF London but performed the
far more difficult task OF composing all
Of the many responses to public addresses
in his long tour. These included great
variety of ideas and sentiment. often ex-
pressed in exceedingly graceful and happy
language. The English public has taken.
on The whole. remarkably slight interest
in the details OF the six months tour.
A Lucid Enitane.
The princes SUNNI ing up Of the whole
story in his Guild Hall address was.
therefore. in the nature of new nara
tive to his listeners. His straightforward
review and careful analysis of his OBJ
serNauons. with their lesson to the moth
er country, constituted an epitome of the
current history of the Empire which sur
prised ard delighted his hearers
There has been considerable rulsonlc
and extreme i----'Ion Of the princes
rree.-. mich is rather nauseating bu,
II should net OBSCURE the fact that the
future King of Great Britain has shown
himself TO be man of parts, with brains
and logic, and an appreciation Of his re-
sponsibilities and the duties of statesman
ship. Those who were In close personal
association with him on his long trip
gained the truest idea Of his real char
acter. Some of them admit a certain
amount OF surprise at the extent OF AIS
development.
Free From Prejudices.
1t is a satisfaction to learn that there
is nothing small, nothing of the snob
about him. He is as broad minded and
democratic as his father, and is remark
ably free from preiudices. The chief crit
icism, If it be such. is that Intellectually
he is still somewhat boyish.
BY this it is not meant that he is un-
sophisticated or uniformed. but his hab-
its OF mind are those of one younger than
he in years. Far from being ignorant. 1t
will be difficult to find n man of his are
better equipped with knowledge which. as
time goes on. he will undoubtedly assini-
late.
There is every prospect also that as
the country comes TO know him better his
popularity will be rapidly increased.