New-York tribune., 1901-01-20
GENIAL ALBERT EDWARD.
PERSONAL TRAITS OF THE PRINCE WHO
MAY SOON ASCEND THE
BRITISH THRONE.

BRITISH THRONE.
Within few days-possibly ere many hours
are past-the Prince of Wales will be called
upon to assume the reign of power either as
regent or as sovereign of the vast British En-
pire For the Queen, it is officially declared by
her doctors is in such condition of health as
to render her incapable of transacting the busl-
ness of State and as to give grounds Tor the
most grave anxiety This being the case, 1t may
be well to cast brief glance at the new ruler
of Great Britain and of her dependencies, ana
to consider the immediate results or his acces-
sion TO the chief executive power in the realm
OF his personality much more is known than Of
his political views; for with tact and delicacy
unprecedented in the history OF the Heirs APP
parent to the British Throne, he has been SO
careful to avoid giving expression to his views
in this respect that not even his most intimate
friends and lifelong associates are able to speak
about them with any degree of certainty. That
he is keenIy interested in both domestic and for
eign politics every one knows. There are few
more frequent and attentive listeners to the de-
bates in Parliament; but whether he leans tow
ard the Conservatives or toward the Liberals,
whether he favors the Nationalist cause in Ire
land that of the Orangemen. whether he pre-
fers an understanding with France to with
Germany, or vice versa. no one can say. Opin-
ions and preference he must have. But he has
never uttered a word which could furnish any
positive indication of his personal feelings upon
any of these subjects-save
FRIEND OF AMERICA
That one is his belief in an understanding be-
tween his country and the United States. And
he may be relied upon. therefore, to continue
the course pursued by his mother from the very
outset of her reign. namely. the development Of
sentiments OF friendship and of unity between
the two great English speaking nations, who
are bound together by ties Of kinship, by COM
munity of speech, of Jurisprudence and of char
acter-that is to say, by ties far more lasting
than mere treaties made to be broken
Albert Edward has never forgotten his mem
orable visit to the United States, and, although
debarred by the spirit of the Constitution from
political action in promoting international good
will between England and America, he has con-
tributed in small measure to the pleasant
understanding between the two nations in
social way From the time of his marriage he
has been the leading figure in English society.
and to a great extent it's arbiter. the Queen
delegating to him what may be described as the
social duties and prerogatves of the Crown.
Possessed Of unrivaed and urfailing tact. of
an extremely level head and OF altogether
unique knowledge Of the world. the Princes
position has until now endowed him with So
ciaI power superior TO that enjoyed by any Con-
tinentaI sovereign. 1t Is no exaggeration to
assert that he has been able make mar
socially any man woman in England. with
out regard to their nationality. TO an extent
which not even the Autocrat Of all the Russias
equal.
This power the Prince has administered both
wisely and well. and. above all he has used II
to demonstrate in a very marked degree the ex-
tent to which he shares his mothers sentiments
os deep and profound friendship toward the
United States by welcoming into English society
the people of this country. To him belongs the
credit OF first drawing ;he attention of the great
world in the United Kingdom and the Con-
tinent OF Europe TO the advantages which So
ciety would derive from admitting Americans
within it's portals, He may be said to have been
the first royal parsonage to discover and to ap-
preciate the charm and the brilIiancy of the
American and the pleasure to be derived
from intercourse with a well bred and clever
American man. In the beginning the Prince met
with good deal of opposition. among his
own countrymen. AT one moment, indeed there
was something very much akin to an incipient
revolt against his authority as the arbiter OF
society. aroused by what declared to be his
intolerable prediction for the society of Ameri-
cans. His London residence was nicknamed the
White House" But the Prince soon bore down
all opposition, and continued to play the role
of pilot TO the sons and daughters OF Uncle Sam
in the Old World In fact. throughout his social
reign. which has lasted for nearly two score
years. he has never neglected any opportunity
OF furthering in a social sense his mothers po-
litcal views in the direction of the establish
ment of bonds of loyal sympathy and close
friendship between the United States and Great
Britain and may therefore be relied upon as
Regent and as King retain the attainment of
this worthy object the keynote and guiding
principle of his career.
FEW PUBLIC MEN BETTER KNOWN.
While in most countries the conclusion Of a
reign of such length and Importance as that of
Queen Victoria would be fraught with most
serious apprehensions with regard to the future
the people Of the British Empire can view with
out fear the accession Of a new ruler to supreme
power in the person Of the Prince OF Wales
Few scions Of royalty have lived in a greater
glare Of publicity, have been more continu-
ously subjected to the watchful and critical eye
Of the people, and the result Of this observation
has been to render Albert Edward one Of the
most popular princes on record. not only in
England but likewise abroad. True, he is no
saint, and is the last person in the world to
wish be set up pinnacle such He Is
subject the same Weaknesses frailties and
errors of one kind and another as ordinary
mortals. His morals neither better nor
worse than those of the majority of his coun-
trymen, and IL is precisely this fact which en-
dears him to them. The sympathy thus estab-
lished between Albert Edward and his people
contrasts strongly with the unpOpularity of his
father whose blameless behavior was generally
regarded by the English as a reflection upon
their own conduct His faults neither very