New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-06-19

q 1011cheoa yesterday one of the
kings friends. in some ways one an,one
| the most intimate of the innurnera bic
friends he had; a man. however not
readily yielding to emotion nor likely
10 take what is called the sentimental
view We began to talk of the King.
Suddenly he broke off:
i cannot say much. loved him"
/ don't know that I can tell you any
thing more characteristic or Illuminating
than that It is the kind of tribute the
King himself would have liked. And
there are millions Of Englishnaen to-day
whose hearts are full Of the same feel
ing
The Kins-the late King-was great
master of kingly graces He knew. 1
suppose, more men and women than any
man Of his time. He knew the exact de-
gree Of consideration TO which each one
Of them was entitled, and exactly how
to express it. If you desire to form 10
yourself q conception of the interval
which divides 2 king, with the inherited
traditions of q thousand years, from the
elected Chief Magistrate of yesterday,
You might do worse than watch the cere-
naonial customs Of each, or their methods
OF personal intercourse We know what
the indiscriminate handshakings by the
President are. We know that the Gus
tom aided by the incredible stupidity Of
the police about him, cost one of them
his life. We read the other day that
q President after enduring this exaction
for z time, had to stop It. His right
hand was all but paralyzed. We have
all listened to the Presidential 7 am very
glad TO see you repeated to all corners
It may be unavoidable. but it all detracts
something from the dignity OF the Office
and the man.
This King who is gone gave his
hand more often than any other; but
at his own choice and discretion. It
was thought abroad he went great
lengths, and some of the Continental
sovereigns and the courtiers about
them criticised him. They also after
time initiated him. and sometimes at
once. The present German Emperor
was one of those who took the hint
from his uncle as soon as it was
given I told long ago how the En-
neror and the then Prince of Wales in
1889 came on board the White Star
steamship Teutonic. lying at Spithead,
with q great company of naval guests,
there TO witness the great naval review
which never took place The First Lord
Of the Admiralty. Mr. Chamberlain,
Lord Charles Beresford, Nj Isn1ay. Mr.
Depew and many other persons Of dis
tinction were grouped on the main deck
The Emperor came up the steps first,
and by way OF acknowledging their salu-
tations raised his white cap. The Prince
Of Wales shook hands with all those
have named and with some others. the
Emperor looking on astonished. Then
came z prolonged inspection of the leu
tonic, the finest passenger ship then
af1oat, the pioneer Of all modern com
fort and spIendor on the Atlantic,
Mr. Ismay's creation. There had been
much talk in which Emperor and Prince
had both taken part, and by the time
they were ready to leave the great Ger
man sovereign had learned his lesson.
He shook hands cordially with Mr.
Ismay, in whom he had recognized
kindred spirit OF greatness other than
his own, but not less genuine, and with
others The faces of his staff were the
faces Of men amazed, perplexed, almost
incredulous.
At drawing rooms and courts and
Ievees. in private houses where he was
a guest, whether in town or country, on
the turf in the theatre, at public
Windsor garden party, the same habit
prevailed Prince Of Wales or King of
England. he met his friends as a friend,
and for acquaintances with any title to
recognition he had a pleasant welcome
It added immensely to his popularity
among those who knew him. and among
the millions who never saw him, but
heard. They thought of him as man
among men, which he was in every
sense. and as one who thought man
hood an honorable thing Ask, more
over. any Of the equerries or others Of
his household. They will all tell you
he was considerate. He expected each
officer TO do his duty, and it was done.
It is often an irksone duty; but he
never made II needlessIy SO
The human side Of him was never long
hidden Il is q remark one is tempted
20 repeat again and again. II came out
in the services he was forever doing;
public in their nature, but from a pri-
vate impulse He met TO the full the
expectation Of the public and discharged
TO the full the obligation of the Crown
in respect Of all charities and ceren1oni-
als: and always with a kindly grace
which made his presence and his gifts
doubly welcome.
With people whom he knew well and
liked he was glad TO lay aside etiquette.
I could give you, but must not, the
names Of friends TO whom he would
often send word in the afternoon that
he was coming TO dine that evening and
70 play bridge after. Even king, and
2 great king. must sometimes relax. He
cannot always appear in armor His
hostess would meet him al the door with
2 courtesy and then welcome him as
friend: and the talk all through dinner
was intimate and free. Those We're de-
Iishtful hours. So were the days in
country houses where the King was a
gllest. Always no doubt, certain
hush In the atmosphere, a certain con-
straint If the party was large, but so