New-York tribune., 1909-01-31
THE PRIVACY OF KINGS AND IT'S usefulness

gaia and Oyama. well the other veterans
Of the army. do not ever enter the imperial
presence without trepidation, and refer to him
with bated breath. AS for the ordinary people.
they do not presume to mention the En-
peror's name 1t is far too halIowed to be
printed spoken while he lives. To them he
is not real man, with human weaknesses, such
the Car, the Kaiser even the Pope, but
an abstract ideal almost a god Thanks to this,
his authority them is unquestiOned and
supreme. Were his people to become familiar
lied with his person. with his environment, with
his mode of life, were, in one word. this singu-
larly wide awake and up-tO- date people to be
convinced thereby that ne was after all a mere
mortal such themselves-they would no longer
concede his superiority, and the most ancient
monarchy in the world would be swept out of
existence.
There is doubt therefore, that while pub
lcity concerning the private life of the rulers Of
the Old World may temporarily increase their
popularity by promoting ties of sympathy be-
tween themselves and their people, it diminishes
their prestige and the belief Of the masses in
their superiority upon which the entire mon
archcal system is founded. But leaving aside
the question of policy in connection with the
privacy and the publicity of the existence of
royalty. there is another phase thereof to be
considered. Many especially here in America,
have an impression that the occupancy of a
throne. or even of a footing the steps thereof.
must be extremely enjoyable They are con-
vnced that to be the objects of public adula-
tion and subservenCy, to be invested with all
the glamour the pOmp and the glitter OF royalty,
Is the of happiness. Possibly 1t does not
occur to them that while to be the cynosure
Of all eyes has its fascinations it has also its
drawbacks 1t is all very well to be in the lime
light for an hour or so, in the of actors
and actresses on the stage. at matnees and
evening performances. But TO be in the lime
light all the time. morning, noon and night, to
feel ones self always and forever the object OF
eager scrutiny and all-prying gaze, becomes not
only terribly trying but downright torture.
Even footlight favorites. to whom the applause
Of a theatre audience is as the breath Of life,
would find 1t intolerable in the long Yet
emperors and empresses kings and queens. and
even the minor fry of the sovereign houses OF
Europe. are compelled to submit to thus
naming exhibition all hours of the twenty
four. The strain the nervous system is in
toierable, especially upon those whose health is
fraii. Some of them, although endeavors are
made from their earliest youth to accustom them
to be stared at by hundreds and thousands of
curious and sometimes unfriendly eyes. never
become Injured to 1t and always regard 1t a
torture. among the number being the daughters
Of King Edward the Empress of Russia. Queen
Helen OF Italy Queen Victoria of Sweden. in
lesser degree Queen Alexandra and her mother
in-law, the late Queen Victoria; and last but by
no means least. the late Empress of Austria,
who developed positive aversion for the Wen
nese owing TO the inconceivably rude manner
IN which she was stared at, not only through