The San Francisco call., 1910-05-07

As younger man he was fond of
cards and of high stakes at the gamb-
ling tables, but he lived to express at
least a change of heart on the subject.
But when he doffed the three plumed
crest of the prince of Wales and as
sumed the crown of Great Britain Ed
ward doffed all his questionable habits
of early manhood. He retained his in
| terest in horses and his charm of man
ner In many other respects he was a
different person.
The change was noted at the time of
the accession of the new king. prince
Hal is dead" said those who knew him
and who detected the changes which
were said to have been almost as
marked as that which affected Madcap
Harry when, in Shakespeare's play.
upon the death Of Henry ", he became
Henry V, one of the soberest and most
resolute of English kings
he took his sovereignty seriously.
TESTED HIS TACT
During the reign of his mother AL
bert Edward, while out of political af
fairs, put his tact to use in tentative
lights. When his royal mothers pref
erence FOR the conservatives was too
strongly marked the prince of Wales
would call on Gladstone and by that
act would restore the balance.
Ihe theory with which he viewed the
| Engllsh government was that the ruler
should be impartial in the struggles
between the political factions of his
realm, be a nonpartisan chairman. as
lt were Yet he held that the king
should have a power.
About the time of King Edwards ac-
cession to the throne Justin McCartbv
wrote or him: The prince of Wales ha 8
shown of late years at all events that
fh0rniIerI1Ity n 49,
the duties and the limitations of his
functions as heir to the throne He will
have no doubt, show when he comes
10 the throne, that he understands his
part In that more responsible position
| just as we'll"
AT the time Edward assembled the
throne he was known as a "competent
prince of Wales" which, even coming
sincerely from such a man as Justin
rlhy' VINO wrote with every sug-
gestion of candid approval and hone
Ior the future. did not mean very much.
Inc prince of Wales duties are not
lhose OF the statesman. The king was
never considered a student He road
llttle, 1t was said, some going so far
as TO say that he never held a book in
his hand. ~
But he went into the tbroneroon,
with the love of the English neonle
behind him and he readily vindicatad
that love-
From the first he declared himself
TO stand steadfastly by the letter and
spirit or the English form of govern
ment, saying, as a binding epilogue to
his oath of office:
In undertaking the heavy load
which now devolves upon me. I am
fully determined to be a constitutional
sovereign In the strictest sense of the
word. and. so long as there is breath
in my body, to work for the good and
ameiioration of my people,"
Edward found Europe in trouble and
in chickering's. The relations between
England and France were strained al
most to the breaking point Edward
set about to establish peace, and he
has had peaceful reign. At the first
he saw that England might be en-
quilted in disastrous war. He realized
! that the power of arms of other ma
tions was increasing more rapidly than
| was that power in France. He saw
the menace of Germany.
| He saw that England faced criti-
cal situation. Either peace would have
| to be established or the navy increased
and a universal military service made
compulsory. So the king went to
! France. There he saw the president
and conferred with the government
ministers. An entente was estab-
| lished with the oldtime enemy of
| Britain--En gland and France were
friends. due to the tact of the king.