Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20
King Edward Furious
at Asquith's Snub
,ecial Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence OF Inc oldf
LONDON, February IA, 1910
@NGLISH society has not had such a
r. tidbit of gossip for many a day as
has been furnished by the action
Of Prime Minister Asquith in declining
the kings invitation to stay from Satur-
day to Monday with him last week.
1t is customary for the sovereign to in
wife the leader OF the victorious party
at general election to spend few days
as his guest, and it Is no secret that at
these visits the political leader Is ex-
pected to make the king pretty well &C
quanted with his plans. Only illness
or very urgent public business Is the
excuse for declining such an invitation.
and in this case neither excuse seems to
have been available. 1t Is not SO much
the fact that Mr.. Asquith declined to
obey the kings command, however, as
the way he did it that Is causing all the
trouble.
Mr. Gladstone on one or two occasions
when he was tired out after an election
and had been ordered by his doctors TO
rest declined an invitation to Windsor,
but In each case he "craved the queens
pardon" for disobeyng her command. and
sent along Doctors certificate showing
that he really needed the rest. Mr..
Asauith simply wrote short little note
such as he would write to a friend Of no
particular importance, saying that he was
very sorry he couldn't go to Windsor,
as he was leaving at once for the con-
tnent
The king is simply furious. He de-
clared when he received the note that
no English sovereign had been so treated
since the days of Cromwell. and he also
said things about the lack OF common
courtesy in modern lie.
An effort has been made to make II
appear that Mr.. Asquiths action had
some political significance, but few peo-
pie seem to think that this Is SO. 1t Is
a fact, of course, that some of the more
radical spirits among the prime ministers
followers have been talking rather loudly
about sweeping away the monarchy as
well as the house of lords, but II is
Uncomfortable that Asquith. who is a
moderate liberal, would countenance any
such scheme If he did he would soon
find himself deserted by the great ouik
of his party, who are prepared to. clip
the wings of the lords. but who are not
ready vet to abolish even the hereditary
feature of the second chamber:
What is much more likely Is that
Asuuith, who is a man of the people,
never gave the matter thought and re-
have replied to any other Gladstone
was essentially a courtier, and was deeply
versed in the minutae of the etiquette
surrounding a monarch. He could not
have made such a mistake. Then peo-
pie say that Mrs. Asquith, who Is very
unpopular in society, answers good
deal of his correspondence, and she, II
is we'll known. has a brusque way oil
dealing with the most important people:
she thinks it smart TO make niue
of big people," said man who is close
to the king. land perhaps she thought
she was doing a clever thing in snubblng
the king. She has done very stupid
thing however and one which Will do
her husband a lot of harm. for his per-
sonal relations with the KING can iieNei
be the same again ,o-
"Of course King Edward is too clever
a man to let his actions In pubic al :
fairs he influenced by his personal likes
mr. disIikes. but it is highly important
that his ministers should be men VINO
are personally agreeable to him. man
cannot look so calmly on great constltu-
tional changes proposed by a man Wnom
he regards as an undipiomatlc door as
he can IL they come from man IN whose
tact and discretion he has commence. l
shou,d not be surprised II Mr.. Asquith >
boorish letter had great effect on the
suture of the controversy about the
house of lords. which the King alone
The king has taken the unprecedented
stem of causing to be published IN the
of1iciaI Gazette the fact that Asquith de-
ci;ned his invitation. The invitation IT
self was not announced, SO that the snup
is all the more marked