The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-16
From the London Observer.

From the London Observer.
F" EsTERDAY new monarch, pro-
claimed in the ancient forms,
L assembled the throne of the widest
dominion that time has known and as
sumed sovereignty over a quarter of the
world. 1t is matter OF the utmost pub
lie moment that even those of his sub
jects who have lacked the opportunity to
form a definite impression of George the
Fifth should possess reasoned grounds
for absolute confidence in the king, and
should possess a correct appreciation OF
his character and abilities Before this
necessity-not only of the hour, but OF
the future-even the more absorbed sense
of national bereavement must give way,
and we venture to think it an obligation
to put convention a little aside and to
state in clear language something OF
what it behoves the nation to know.
There is one strong difference between
1.-THE opening of the present reign and
the beginning of the last. When King
Edward came to the throne he had been a
familiar public figure for a generation,
and in every sphere but that of foreign
the prediction as to his future once made
by Gambetta--he had given the full meas
ure of his remarkable capacity. Not SO
NOW King George has had the shorter
probation and has had no similar OPP
portunities, to become Enthusiastically
known to his people of the United King
dom. He has been much less conspicu-
ously identified with the general activ-
tiles of society Anecdotes Of him have
| not vet become current coin, and inti-
mate personal sketches of his true and
equally earnest and lovabN personality
are so rare as almost not to be found
Though King George has Understood now
| to fling living and actuatirg phrases OF
| his own even into ceremonial speech,
| though he has again and again shown
| a singular felicity in expressing the aver
age mind of his countrymen, though he
is by far the most widely-traveled royal
parsonage that history has seen, he is
on the whole better understood in the
outer empire than at home. This diff
ference will not last long, and now that
King George is called upon to take his
r'-ce at the head of the nation the
a tiles of heart and mind that are
calculated to win him not merely the
loyal respect but the unbounded attach
ment of his subjects will come into view
OF our new sovereign 1t may be said
in the grand old motto: HE is known to
his own" and by those to whom he
has been best known he has ever beer
loved best. That is a criterion of which
his country will realize the sureness as
sovereign and people are drawn closer
together His subjects will know the
worth of his serious and set patriotism
of his passion for the imperial ideal
of his directness and candour of nature
OF his sympathy and his courage
Because of the strictly quiet role t.
which his majesty has hitherto chosen
to confine himself, there has been mis-
conception OF two kinds. He has beer
thought by some to be of reactionar,
mind; and by others to be unlikely Z
set his own impress upon affairs SO fal
as these legitimately depend under oul
constitution upon the Initiative and TN
spirit of the sovereign. These errors arr
easily dispelled, and 1t is not easy Il
saw which of them is the more absurd
In the far-away days of the cruise o
the Bacchante, the Prince George o
that time, like his late brother Prince
Albert Victor. not only saw the worl'
and realized as housekeeping youths cal
never do how wide and wonderful
part of 1t is the British dominion, bu
they were indoctrinated in the true mean
Ing of the empire. and In . sane AM