Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-30
London Papers Almost Hystefieal
Over Departure of the 0phir.
SAMPLES OF THEIR FINE WRITING
An Explanation Of the Decadence
of British Commercialism.
PLAN APPROVED


LONDON, March 20, 1901.
The English reporter has just had field
day and blossomed into adjectives to his
hearts content. British newspaper En-
glish is fearsome thing sometimes, and
when some of our more emotional papers let
themselves loose over a gorgeous function
or pathetic incident the result is at least
amusing. Language fails the English re-
porter when his emotions get the upper
hand which, to be fair to him, Is not
often. The British cannot be called SYM
pathetic race, nor as a rule emotional. If
they were they would never have raised UP
so mighty an empire as they have. They
are true-hearted, honest and loyal to
friends, but not sympathetic. So when,
like Mr.. Wegg," they drop into poetry"
they are apt to be somewhat crude and In
clined to abound in adjectives. The de-
parture of the Duke and Duchess Of York
on their voyage to the colonies has afford
ed special opportunity to such news
papers indulge in fine writing"
The journey at best Is but recog-
milton of the just claims Of empire and
somewhat tardy one on the part OF the
government of the immense services rem
dered and practical loyalty shown to the
mother country by her colonies in time OF
trouble. The trip is by no means a hard
ship, either. Made in a powerful ship,
which the decorators art had transformed
into a beautiful yacht, surrounded by
brilliant company of their own choosing,
attended by every comfort and escorted by
warships. the royal couple should pass
a delightful seven months, especially as
they will be the center of attraction and
devotion wherever they strike British ter
ritory. 1 wonder how many of the weary
totIers In grimy London who read the
grandiloquent accounts of the departure
would not willingly change places with the
duchess
the fancied hardships of leaving the Brit
ish capital during this dull year of mourn
Ing, which the reporters have conjured up
for their readers.
The Daily Telegraph's story.
The Daily Telegraph starts It's four-col-
umn story thus:
"On the mist-laden bosom of the gently
heaving waters, far away from the crowds
ashore and the pageantry of arms at the
naval port, the king and queen babe their
last farewells to the Duke and Duchess of
Cornwall and York as the Ophir majestical-
~ glided out into the gathering night on
her voyage of state to the land of the
daughter lands which have so spontaneous
ly exhibited their attachment to the throne
and empire"
Surely never did sovereigns more hero
fcally sacrifice their private feelings for an
empires welfare than did their majesties
when they babe farewell to the heir ap-
parent and his consort on Saturday after
noon Apart from the suggestion Of world
wide sway that the seven months journey
conjures up in the mind, apart from the
stately ceremony that marked the pre-
liminartes to the departure-the brilliant
uniforms of officers of high rank. the rise
and fall of martial music. the lines Of sea-
men and marines, and the rattle of rifles
raised at the present"-was the purely
human interest of the severance for a long
period of those close ties that bind the
king and queen to their son and daughter
fn-law. Make your mind easy; wen look
after the children were the last fatherly
words of the king as the duke stepped
from the Victoria and Albert onto the lefty
to rejofn on the Ophir the young wife and
mother, whose fearful eyes told Of the
feelings with which she was leaving SO
much that is most near and dear to her in
order to accompany her husband across the
seas"
Another Version of the Incident.
Another reporter wrote:
THE king was in the uniform of an adj
miral of the fleet. which of all his uniforms
is the one in which he looks the most
kingly and distinguished. He was the
most sailorly man there. and the Duke of
Cornwall would have passed very well as
his chief officer. Naturally the royal ladies'
were in black, relieved only by white
punches of flowers. The queen very beau
tful and very pale. stood chatting with the
IL. duchess
with her brothers. discussing, one may as
sumo, the exciting and pleasurable pros
poets of the voyage"
In England the king Is always "kinely"
ways very beautiful" Just as counsel and
judges are invariably referred to az
learned" and officers of the army and
navy gallant"
The reporter continues his descript ion
thus:
Then the Ophir. She looked very big
among the small fry scuttling around her
very big. very imposing and very clean.
The black, VenomouS, malignant little de-
stroyerS followed There was a fine sight
ahead Out in the channel between the
Spit and the Horse two stately cruisers
were maneuvering for position. These were
the Dladem and the Niobe, which escort
the duke to Gibraltar.
THE Ophir signaled q reply and then
steamed of round the Isle of Wight into
launched on her momentous voyage to the
wondrous and beautiful outposts of the
empire The snaky little destroyers es-
corted the king back TO harbor."
You see the Ophir WAS very big" VERY
imposing and very clean" The torpedo
destroyers were black" "yenomous ="
malignant" and little when they went
out, and ''snaky" and little when they
voyage "momentous.' and the "outposts
of the empire wondrous' and beautiful. -
What wealth of language over the sail
Ing of ship
How the Daily Mail Told 1t All.
The Daily Mail delivered Itself as fol-
lows:
March Is. 1901, has been a great day
for our country. For the first time in
our history the heir TO the throne has Of
fered himself and his wife as imperial mes
sengers.
1T Is a noble mission. 1t is an embassy
such as never in the history of the world
has left the shores of any country. Never
before has any monarch been able to send
forth the expressions t.f gratitude for 10y
atty shown by kindred peoples under one
flag and one throne IN all the quarters of
the globe. Never before have widely sep
arated lands given forth one great verdict
on an issue involving freedom and consti-
tutional law and government"
This is fairly tall, is it not Column
bus Pizarro and Marco Polo are now here
The Telegraph. in leader, dwelIs on the
Importance of the event to Britain and the
colonies, and says:
I'VE cannot follow beforehand the chart
of the cruise without feeling once more