New-York tribune., 1910-06-12

n0GQ EfDA Say HULL oDSAN
lie life OF the late King. nor about the
part he played in the empire OF the
world. But there are certain passages
in his private life and in his relations
with the late Queen which had an effect
on his career, and may be mentioned In
whole or in part.
The greatness Of this reign is the more
remarkable because experience OF pub
lie affairs came to the King late in life
He was in his sixtieth year when he
came TO the Throne. and during the forty
years when he might have been acqulr-
ing invaluable experience he had been
sedulously excluded by the late Queen
from ali share in the business Of State
So much is known. and so much is some
times stated in the English press. though
stated with caution. It is the truth. but
il is not all the truth. l believe ii to be
also true that after the death OF the
Prince Consort. in 1851. the Queen de-
sired the Prince of Wales TO take up
some portion of the duties Of his father
and offered him a place as her private
secretary. The Prince, for whatever rea-
son. declined it.
He was not much over twenty years
OF age. and never in any man, perhaps,
was the desire Of Ia joie de vivre strong
er Some years later a truer sense Of
his position and duties and opportunities
came to him He offered to accept. and
besought the Queens permission to ac-
cept. the post she had first offered him.
Her Majesty refused. and never from
that time onward did she open TO the
Prince of Wales the door she then closed
She left him TO amuse himself. to choose
his own associates and his own occupa-
tions She herself spent six hours day
never less. and often much more-in
reading dispatches and State papers Of
all kinds. The Prince saw none of them,
was present at no interviews with Min
listers. knew nothing OF the conduct Of
affairs.
Yet the Prince had. in the face of these
discouragements. an appetite for public
business. He was well informed about
II. but only as an outsider is well in
formed. Naturally. the opinion had
grown UP that not much was TO be ex-
pected Of the Prince as King. The death
Of the late Queen was thought 20 close
an era. II had not occurred TO any one,
except perhaps TO his nearest friends, to
think of the new King g well equipped
for his Kingship- True, Lord Salisbury,
than whom there could be no higher au-
thority. speaking in the House Of Lords.
had said of the new King upon his ac-
cession that he had a profound knowl-
edge Of the working of our constitution
and conduct Of our affairs Lord Sails
bury had had exceptional means of
knowing. and he expressed his own opin-
ion. a true opinion, but not general
opinion. I suppose Lord ROsebeTy, long
intimate with the Prince, might have
said as much. But to most men such
expressions came as a surprise.
met Sir Francis Jeune at dinner on
the evening after the first Privy Council
held by the King. which Sir Francis had
gone down to Osborne TO attend He be
gan at once TO describe the scene:
The King astonished Us all we had
all known him as Prince of Wales, II
became clear we had yet 10 know him as
King. His air of authority sat on him
a. If he had worn It always. He spoke
With weight. as & King should speak II
was plain. he had come to the Throne to
rule"
Ask the Ministers and other great
nersonages who stood 20 him in official
relations. Mr.. Asquith has answered for
them all:
y speak from privileged and close
experience when I say that, wherever ne
vas or whatever may have been his ap-
parent preoccupations, in the transac-
ton Of the business Of the State there
were never any arrears, there was never
any trace OF confusion, there was never
apv moment of avoidable delay.
In the opinion Of the King their time
and his belonged TO the public, and
neither was to be wasted
The whole truth about the late King
mission 10 Paris has. I think. never been
told. II was not expedient that it should
he told at the time, nor was it generally
known. But until 1t IS known full JUS
tiCe cannot be done 70 the Kings courage
and wisdom, or TO his direct personal IN
Hueuce on the course OF great anairS-
For II was the man himself, the King
himself who won this great victory; not
nv Diplomacy. not by statecraft, but De-
cause he was the man he was. tell the
story briefly, but the outlines Will be
enough
When the King went to Paris 70 lay
the foundations of q new friendship De-
-vean France and England the feeling OF
The French against the English ran nlgn'
They had not forgotten nor forgiven the
s,-,,, ,,na+bies Of England with Germany IN
1870 They had not forgotten their own
-s+rsst from Egypt in 1882, and tney
s.ore5 m their own mistake against
England. They had not forgotten aFasno-
ia The King was warned not 70 60
Tb. French government warned MIN
They could protect him, they saiu'
AGAINST violence, but not against insult
us our, government thought his Vlsl[
a. ~. circumstances. I'll advised Against
.u +bts he set his own conviction tnAC
.be moment had come 70 make an eIIor1
for a better understanding between tne
.u,o raopIes. Danger did not deter MIN
For nersonal danger he cared nolnlns'
.rd AGAINST the danger that any olS-
oo,,-tesv TO himself might embltter inc
tvvo nations he set the hope OF success
a. +ba statesman he was, he calculate"
4u,,1a-ad wisely. he knew