The times., 1901-03-10
ENGLAND's NEW SOVEREIGN.
4 Review of Qualities the Present
Monarch Possesses.
From the London spectator.)

4
| What are the qualifications which the
| King brings to his ardu0us task?
! The first quality that the King brings &C
/ the fulfilling of his great functions as a
constitutional sovereign is courage, NOR
/ al, and physical Like all his race, he is
/ n man OF stout heart, and we may be
/ sure that he Will not in public affairs
| quail or encourage timorous counsels in
/ his ministers
/ Next, he possesses a very remarkable
/ knowledge Of public affairs. He is on all
/ political questions, both at home and
abroad. extremely well informed. and we
! doubt if there is any man alive who un-
/ derstands ordinary English public opin-
| ion better than he does. AS Prince of
! Wales he had opportunities for studying
[ its nature which are withheld from the
sovereign, and we do not doubt that the
/ lessons thus learned Will stand him in
good stead.
( Beyond this knowledge he has the in
sti1Ctive gift Of tact-the power TO do and
say the right thing at the right moment.
and TO look forward and prevent the Oc-
cuTreuce of unnecessary friction and an
ncyance. II the history Of the last twenty
or thirty years could be fully told it
would be found that on countless Occas-
ions timely warning from the Prince Of
Wales prevented he occurrence of those
perpieXing and diSagreeable situations
and incidents which arise from the neg.
lect of tactfuIness.
Next, the King is an excellent judge of
men. AS regards the public men with
whom ne has come in contact ne has
shown this quality again and again, and
his advice in regard to appointments has
often proved most useful. one reason for
this IS that ne KNOWS the English world
remarkably well, and he has always made
a point of keeping himself informed about
the record and qualifications Of persons
who have either attained eminence or are
likely to attain 1t. If name were chosen
at random among the men of mark in
the nation, ii is safe to say that the King
would be more likely to know something
l.. e. -,
any other person who can be named not
specially related to the man in question
that is. not belonging to his profession or
knowing him personally.
Again. the King has ripe memory and
4 great faculty for putting men at their
ease. Hence in all personal negotiations
he has proved himself a cOnCiliatOry force.
BY universal consent a better chairman
of a committee is not to be found in the
three kingdoms. He has shown ability
to keep to the business in hand without
cOercinS the minority, wound1ng the feel
ings of the garrulOus or preventing the
expression of helpful as opposed TO OBJ
structive criticism.
But these qualities are exactly those
which are most useful in constitutional
King The Queen has fixed once and for
ever the position and functions of the SOW
ereign in our crowned republic. and great
and important and splendid those tunc-
tiOns are. The Queen, to use metaphor,
made herself the Permanent Under Sec
retarv to the nation. She was the power
behind the Prime Minister which never
changed In our view the King viii be
able to carry on the most essential work
Of criticising his ministers with success,
for he has lust the abilities which are re-
quired He is a man Of the world; he has
Judgment tact. and common sense; he has
a great knowledge Of men. and he hates
laundering and muddling Hence we may
expect from him that taCtful vigilance
which is needed. however able may be the
Kings Ministers. and however much they
may be devoted to their duties But OF
one thing we may be sure. The King will
not be wanting in the truest and sinCerest
patriotism There ne may be absolutely
trusted. and the nation may rely without
misgiving on mis- whOle-hearted devotion to
his country. Not even the Queen herself
was more strongly patriotic. And the
same may he said of the new Queen
Queen Alexandra. She long ago won the
love and esteem of the country. and they
may hail in her a true English woman.