New-York tribune., 1902-06-25
THE KINGS ILLNESS.

The day's news from London is startling anu
most painful TO the world. 1t arouSeS. III sdu
and anxious reverse. the sentiment Oh 'He
Husuenots apoStrOpbe to La Rochelle' -As
thou vert constant in our ills be joyous III
our joy 1t was TO be jovous IN the JOY Vi
Britain that the representatives OF all the IL"
rions of the world yesterday gathered ID Loh-
don 1t is TO be sympathetic in BRUSH suIiel-
inc and solicitouS in British suspense that they
to-day remain. For the United States, and. we
doubt not. for the whole world, it would De
impossible 10 say too readily or too earneSu!
that the fullest possible measure of synpath!
and solicitude both official and popular, Is OF
fered TO the royal patient and his family, ana
Ia the nation and empire of which lie Is llie
head Had il been otherwise. had the proud
pageantry of the week been fulfilled as IT was
expected TO be. without this most distressing
Interruption the United States would have been
foremost in the generous rivalry to offer Its
congratua tions and TO reflect back the great JOY
of its sister nation. AS il is. in this so uneX-
pected and strangely decreed catastrophe the
American nation is equally forward with its ex-
pressions of regret. of anxiety and of hope. and
with nrayers that the menace of bereavement
may pass by.
The King is stricken sorely. 1t would he idle
10 attempt TO conceal or 10 mitigate the fact
His ailment is a serious one in any case, and II
is not least serious in one of his age and physl-
cal condition. Nevertheless. it is a famlhar
one and one particularly we'll understood by
the medical and surgical profession. 1t is also
one in which the great majority of cases are
benign Our hospitals are seldom without pa
tients afflicted in practically the same way, and
these are generally discharged after a little
time entirely cured. IT is. Of course, trulSm
10 say that the King is in the hands of sur
eeons. physicians and nurses as competent as
any in the world, some of them peculiarly and
pre-eminently we'll fitted for precisely such ser
vices as they are now called upon TO perform.
Fverythfng that scientific knowledge and skill
and loving devotion can do TO assure ana 10
expedite his recovery is being and will be done.
To these things will be added the sincere wishes
and prayers of a sympathetic world. In any
case even the simplest prognosis is uncertain
But at least we may say that thus far the prog
ress and symptoms of this case afford ground
for hope of the Kings restoration to health
II should not seem unworthy or uniting to
turn from these serious aspects Of the situation
TO a view of the sudden and radical reversal
of plans and programmes, as well as of feel
ings in London and throughout the British En-
pire Never was such change more starting
or more costly. 1t is-ft must pe-alnlost
stupefying to those Immediately concerned
Yet lamentable as it is. it has one partially re-
deeming. or at least consoling, quality. Ii al
fords opportunity for the exercise Of the hlsh-
est types Of national manliness and, indeed
serves to develop them to an unwonted degree
II is harsh discipline but it is not entirely un-
salutary It brings out finely the constancy'
the steadiness of nerve and of purpose, the
unfailing preparedness for every viclssltude OF
fate which have been attributed to the Anglo
Saxon race by its eulogsts. The city that can
steadfastlv endure what London is now endur-
ing is by virtue of that very fact great CITY
great in soul as we'll as in numbers and wealth.
and commerce The nation that can with equal
readiness be exultant or apprehensVe, not
through mercurial volatility, but through well
ordered self-control possesses one Of the pest
elements Of greatness 10 which the human race
is heir.