The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-03-16

King Edward VII and President Harry
st George Tucker, OF the jamestown
Exposition. Discuss His Fame.

King Edward VII and President Harry
st George Tucker, OF b jamestown
Exposition. Discuss His Fame.
The following editorial. taken from
The Providence Or. II Journal, Sun
day, February 4th. 1906. shows how
close h section Of u Reunited
country hav grown and what pleasure
1t gives to all to hear our great men of
either side praised by foreigners:
King Edward and jamestown.
1T Is always interesting to read a
first-hand account Of a meeting be-
tween a royal parsonage n a plain
American citizen, especially when they
come together in a friendly, informal
a when it is permissible to lay
aside official ceremony II talk with
out the restraint which it imposes.
Then 1t is that opportunity is afforded
to take the true Measure Of the SOW
ereign and see what kind of man he
Is beneath his royal robes.
This pleasure was enjoyed very re-
Gently by Professor Harry St George
Tucker, of Washington AND Lee Uni
versity. formerly Congressman from
Virginia, who, in his capacity Of pres
fdent of the jamestown exposition
of 1907. had an interview with King
Edward of England. The nature of
Mr.. fuckers mission to Europe, which
Is to seek the cooperation of various
sovereigns in the forthcoming cele-
bration of the three hundredth ami
versary of the founding Of the first
white settlement in America, as Well
as the especial cordially of his let
ters of Introduction and his own win
ming personality. brought him to the
notice of the King under the most
ia yorah 1o aIISniraS Possibly m these
causes was due the disposition of Ed
ward to put his best foot forward.
However that may be, he was most
gracious to his untitled visitor and,
what is particularly to the point, spoke
admirably of our great men. and ex-
pressed a Willingness to do what lies
in his power to make the approaching
celebration at historic Jamestown a
spectacular, sentimental and
success.
"Skillfully but somewhat slowly run
ming the gauntlet of official ftunkylsm,
Mr.. Tucker was greeted with the ut
most cordially by the King. who. af-
ter the hand-shake, said. with possibly
more cordiality than is always shown
by a Seventh Assistant Secretary at
Washington: "Sit down, sit down.
He stated that Great Britain would be
properly represented at jamestown,
and. after a conversation reminiscent
of the memorable days when as Prince
| of Wales he visited the United States,
| spoke of certain American soldiers,
dead and alive, and gave his opinion
of their genius as compared with that
of other military chieftains of history.
What will be apt to cause surprise
and perhaps provoke controversy is
that when reference was made to Lord
Roberts as the foremost soldier of
England, Mr.. Tucker compared him
to General Joseph E. Johnston, whom
the thought he closely resembled. It
is evidently the opinion OF King Ed
ward, as indicated by an Observation
dropped in the course Of the interview
that Lord Roberts is more comparable
to General Robert E. Lee. But MI.
Tucker, true to Southern tradition,
and with the loyalty of the genuine
Virginia, replied: No, Jul Majes-
ty, We do not think anybody resembles
General Lee
zone must admire the ingenious
good nature with which the King re-
ceived this frank, if excusable, boast,
and the kindness of his nature which
led him to reply that he hoped Lord
Roberts would attend the. exposition
so that Americans would have an OPP
p~ortunity to Judge for themselves of
the estimate put upon him by the Eng
lish people. Having in mind the
friendliness Of Edwards reception of
the jamestown commissioner, there is
justification for the hope. moreover,
hat the King was sincere in respond
ing to the suggestion that as he had
planted an oak beside Washington's
tomb at Mount Vernon one of his
house should repeat the compliment
at jamestown, for he scratched on a
tablet near at hand a memorandum,
saying as he did so: That is a capital
idea
1T was Lord Roberts who in the
course of many courtesies personally
extended to Mr.. Tucker said to him
that while Lord Wolseley places Gen.
eral Lee ahead of any soldier since the
days Of Bonaparte, an estimate which
his guest did not dispute. he believed
that the most remarkable product Of
the war betWeen the states was Stone
wall Jackson. However true that may
be. and whatever it may mean, 1t
seems safe to say that the reputation
of America, the fame of her great men
and the commemorate cause Of Profess
sor fuckers foreign tour will not suf-
fer as a result Of the chat
between the King Of England and this
true blue Virginian."