The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-13
LONDON LETTER
BY HENRY DEvEREAUx.

London, July 6.-To write rom Lon
don and to omit mention of the King
would be like presenting the tragedy of
Hamlet, and cutting the title role. Yet,
the American papers contain, l am told,
so many columns about His Majesty and
the celebrations that are now taking
place, that 1t would be absurd to put the
post in competition with the cable. But
1 will say this. that tae Industrious gem
tlcner of tine ptrss who feed the reading
public of the United States have proven
themselves as imaginative as energetic.
Some of the newspapers I have seen
Bear ne out In, this. No sources of in
formation were open TO your countrymen
that wero not open to ours, but a COM
parison of New York and London edi-
ticns would give the experienced abund-
ant evidence to believe to the contrary
The Price of Wales was not made Re-
gent. The Kings life was never despared
Of. That he was critically i'll We all
knew, ard that he might get worse We
all feared, but Mt no time did we mo
mentarily expect his DEATH One thing
Is certain. King Edward is most beloved
His Hines did more to bring out the af-
lection u his SuDJtClS tnoil ali tilS pa
geantry of a coronation. 1t is believed
the King will be crowned in October
The scene will be as impressively relig-
ious as The original ceremony was to
have been impressively worldly. By the
Kings illness the best people have con-
cluded, the King of Kings has summon
ed the subjects of His Majesty to remem-
Der that ne alcne reigns and rules the
destiny of men and nations. All Eng
land now says humblN THY will be
done"
The Americans have shown the great
est consideration for the King during his
illness. Although the change in pro-
gre mme affects their plans far more
than 1t doer the English, there is not a
word of complaint. They take matters
very sto,cally end seemed to forget
themselves entirely, being wholly SYM
pathetic. OF course the King has been
for years, very kind to Americans, and
mis- death means a great deal to them
s $ the Prince of Wales pays no attention
to them. For that matter he does not
ray very much attention to us either
He has gone his way and the Londoners
have not been thinking much about hin
either. When 1t suddenly dawned upor
us that he stood on the steps of the
throne and that we might be called upon
to recognize him as King, everybody
asked: well, what Kind of a man is
he7" 1T is strange, but true. that we
lSrow little about him. We understand
him to be a silent. retiring man, of good
intellectual capacity. very conservative
in his ideas end very much of a tory.
This is not satisfactory to the bulk of
the people VINO are becoming every day
more democratic and liberal. The peo-
pie want King who sets his seal of ap-
prevail on what the people like. King
EDWARD is a sportsman, hence. all who
love horses, yachts. athletics, swear by
the King: he is fond of society, brillian-
cy, gayety. hence all the shopkeepers
swear by him as he makes trade lively
he dresses we'll. and chat keeps the tall
ors active; he patronizes the theater and
the opera and all amusements, that keeps
the people good humored; he is kind,
courtly, gentle-spirited and democratic
as democratic as his station will permit
that meixes him popular. His inflNnce
over Chamberlain made peace in Africa
end pleased the nation. His son has few
personal friends, and Is unknown. A
quiet, .aciturn King would make the poo
pie grcwl. In England today the King
must be popular. He must be In the
lead. England's affection for Queen Vic
toria Is all that held radicalism from
spreading. The head of society must be
an active leader or there VII be trouble
1t is to tho interest of the Prince of
Wales to come out of his shell and show
himself. He will be e. great national ex-
pepse. Today he Is the great I'M
known"
Now that public attention is no longer