The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-21
FAVORS SOUGHT
FROM ROYAL HANDS

ties. Since the young heir TO the British
throne was created Prince Of Wales he
has become an object OF the special at
tention OF seekers after royal patronage,
and daily has been inundated for the past
few months with circulars and letters
from innumerable trades people.
On the average the Prince receives close
on 10 a thousand circulars and letters a
week These missives come daily in big
patches from all quarters Of the globe;
from shop keepers, hotel proprietors.
! manufacturers, railway and steamship
companies. owners OF fishing and shoot
/ ing grounds in the remotest corners OF
/ the world, as well as from many strange
characters--in America called cranks-
who do not press their Intentions on Or
binary mortals
| For example. in case the Prince of
| Wales ever should take it into his head
1 to ascend the Himalayas, half a dozen
of the most experienced and reliable ma
| tive guides have sent him their names
and addresses. with copies of their Gre
dentials and various references. One
! guide inelosed a copy OF letter from a
! gentleman IN the household of the late
King
Several syndicates sent the prince par
! ticulars of how and where he could OBJ
tain whale and shark fishing, accom-
panied by the most interesting and IN
/ innate details of how these exciting
sports best are pursued. A native Of one
/ of the South Sea Islands volunteered to
supply the heir to the throne with as
many male and female servants. each
seven feet in height. as he pleased: and
]
offered to capture and tame for the
prince any beast, however ferocious.
which his royal highness chose to name.
However much some of these letters
and circulars may interest or amuse the
young prince. many of them no doubt
cause him 10 feel very much annoyed.
and it is really surprising that such let
ters should be sent out by firms of high
/ reputation Several wine merchants.
tailors, matters, hosiers, bootmakers, gun
smiths, and many others wrote offering
10 supply the prince with any quantity OF
goods he should be pleased to order.
free Of charge,
or course, an of these offers were very
carefully and delicately worded, but their
meaning was plain. and il amounted 10
this: We are willing to supply your
royal highness with goods free If you
will recommend us 10 your friends"
The result OF what can only be de-
scribed as grossly impertinent offers.
naturally. is to insure that the people
who make them never will obtain the
custom of the prince.
The pOntiff at Rome is said TO be the
recipient Of the largest amount of daily
mail 1t is further stated that the En-
peror OF Germany is next. with at least
400 10 800 letters every day. King George
Of England is more fortunate. as he re-
ceives, on an average only 100 letters
every day of more or less begging char
acter. Some OF them contain requests for
financial assistance, some for aid in get
ting employment, while some Of the
Kings correspondents who have become
involved in legal difficulties seem 10
think that il is part OF the duty OF the
| sovereign to help them in getting out Of
the snares Of the law.
A woman a few months ago wrote to
his majesty, giving a lengthy account OF
the circumstances under which her
father had become possessed of a small
piece Of land, which she had attempted
to sell when the discovery was made
that one OF the deeds which he had re-
l ceived as a title on the land was not a
valid document, and his daughter was
now threatened with an action for dis
possession.
will your majesty take steps to pre-
vent this robbery OF a poor woman"
Was the request Of this letter
All letters Of this sort are consigned 10
a huge wastepaper basket kept especially
! for correspondence Of this kind in the
Kings personal writing room. but the
receipt of every such letter addressed 10
the King is acknowledged on a printed
form, in which the correspondent is in
/ formed by the Kings private secretary
that the sovereign regrets he cannot &C
cede TO his or her request.
A good many letters come 10 the King
OF a very frivolous character. or from
people who are apparently demented and
I who make the most extraordinary re-
quests. These, Of course, are not &C.
knowledged.
When an appeal for financial assistance
seems to come from any one in genuinely
| distressed circumstances TO either the
King or the Queen, steps are taken al
once to investigate the case. and as q
result help, though not necessarily of a
pecuniary character, may be given tC
the applicant. But it should be borne
in mind that a very large number OF
the letters which the royalty receives for
financial assistance come from people
who neither are really in want or deserv-
ing of help.
The notice which recently appeared in
the press from the Earl Marshal, re-
questing all who by rank were entitled
to be present at the coronation of King
/ George next year, 10 send in their ap-
plications for tickets of admission, APP
parently has been construed by some
curiously- minded persons as an instruc-
ton to apply TO the King for the favor
of a ticket Of admission TO the great
ceremonial At any rate, King George
recently has received letters from some
of his subjects in different parts OF the
country asking for such favor. These
letters are regarded as Of too frivolous
or absurd a character 10 need any
acknowledgment. and straightway are
| consigned to the waste-paper receptacle
by one OF the many secretaries.
No one probably not even the prime
| minister. has received so many unsolcit.
&c letters of advice on the present po-
litical situation as the King, who. how
ever, never sees any OF these letters, nor
even hears OF them, fer directly they
are opened by his secretary they are
thrown into the waste-paper basket.
Hundreds of people also wrote TO King
| George in regard TO the Crippen case
but these and all similar letters never
| actually reach the Kings hands, for they
are promptly destroyed by the secretaria
stan as soon as opened TO avoid their
falling into the hands OF those who per-
haps might give them publicity
If either King George or his Queen were
of nervous temperament or disposition