Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-20
REVIEWING ROYAL TOUR
Magnitude and Variety OF In
dian Panorama.
Special CnbIesram to The Star.

Special Cnblegram TO The Star.
CALCUTTA. April 2O-The press of In
dla is now reviewing the royal tour. which
is history. That 1t would be magnificent
and stately pageant such as could be pro-
duced on no other stage in the world but
India. was a foregone conclusion. But
what must have impressed the royal visi-
tors most of all, fresh from their own little
island kingdom. which. even from south
to north, scarcely affords room for a rail-
way journey of twenty-four consecutive
hours. is the magnitude and infinite variety
of this wonderful Indian panorama.
From their landing at Bombay to their
embarkation at Marachi their royal high
nesses covered over 5000 miles by rail- be-
sides a sea voyage of some 1000 miles
from Calcutta 20 Rangoon and thence
back to Madras and. comprehensive
their tour has been, is has not even touched
whole regions scarcely Inferior in interest
TO those which they have visited-neither
the Malabar coast nor southern India below
Madras. neither the central provinces nor
eastern Bengal nor Assam. For almost
every province in India would make good
sized state in Europe; SINE OF them surpass
IN population and sometimes equal in area
even hrst-class European powers. Part-
ti0u. for instance. still leaves western Ben
gal with a population approximately equal
TO that Of the German empire.
The total population Of the Indian empire
considerably exceeds and it's area more than
equals that Of the whole of Europe in
GLIDING Russia. 1t is farther from Bombay
To Peshawar than from London TO Vienna,
and from Calcutta to Quota is a longer
journey than from Madrid TO st. Peters
burg.
Magnitude of the Journeys.
Yet the magnitude of the journeys ac-
complished by the prince and princess is
Insignificant in comparison with the diver
sity OF countries and peoples they have
seen. They have passed from the warm
and humid zone around Bombay. across
immense tracks Of parched and sun
scorched tableland. where the black
shadow of famine too often hangs over the
country and a few inches of rain make all
Of the difference between starvation and
plenty. 20 the wild mountainous border
land Of The northwest frontier close up I'M
Ger the roof OF the world" where summer
and winter mark the extremes of heat and
cold; they have traversed the densely
populated alluviai plains OF the Gangetfc
delta as well as the deserts OF West Rajpu-
taua and the scarcely less desolate plateau
Of the rock-strewn Deccan, while in Burma
and In Madras they have seen the splendid
igNuriance Of tropical vegetation under the
Influence Of regular trade winds and steady
rainfall They have been greeted by
Pathan and Beluch trihesmen with strong
~ marked Semetic features; by Mussuiman
Punjabis and Bengaki Hindus, by smiling
Burmans with slanting Mongolian eyes. and
by wark-sldnned Tamils OF the old Ora
vdian stock.
1t Is not astonishing that men who have
spent a great part of their lives In India
should fail 10 comprehend the wonderful
variety OF the land. There are three dis
tinct races In India, differing more widely,
according 10 every anthropological test
than Swedes DO from Italians Prussians
from Portuguese, and within these three
races are lines OF cleavage deep those
which separate any two nations Of Europe.
Appeal to Imagination.
No spectacle could appeal more strongly
to the human Imagination than that
which the prince and princess have seen
spread out before them while they have
been passing in continuous review for
more than Ave successive months all those
vast and varied countries. with their still
mere vast and varied populations. alien In
race allen tn tongue allen in faith, over
which they will some day in the natural
order OF things be called to reign. In the
first speech delivered on landing at Bonn
bay. his royal highness said that, as In
visiting India he was but treading in the
footsteps OF the king emperor, his father.
he hoped that his children and his
Childrens children would carry on the
precedents already established and make
themselves personally acquainted with this
splendid portion OF their Imperial heritage.
The present visit undoubtedly was an ex-
practical value TO the future sovereign of
India There can be equally little doubt
that II has been profoundly appreciated by
his future subjects, who have everywhere
and on every occasion welcomed his pres
euce among them with demonstrations of
respect. and even OF enthusiasm. far more
eftusiye than might have been expected
from races on the whole rather prone to
oriental apathy.
The prince and princess, on their side
have not only responded with royal gra-
-fra II hf4Ga axht IONS fnf ffer
good will, but have constantly sought to
enlarge, as far as possible. tho circle OF
Indian gentlemen and Indian gentlewomen
who could be admitted TO the privilege OF
personal intercourse with them The re-
ceptions held by the princess for tho bene-
1T OF those indian ladies from whom their
social laws require the most rigid secusion
from all contact with strangers of the other
sex viii leave memories no less abiding
than the frank and easy conversations into
which the prince mas frequently led repre-