The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-05-12
GEORGE V RESEMBLES
THE CAR OF RUSSIA
Likeness to Weakling Discredits New King
In the Eyes of Uninforned Public
By HARRY DAvIDS

r. HE greatest handicap under which
George V, king of England. is bur
dened is his striking resemblance
to Car Nicholas of Russia. The latter
is recognized as a weakling of the first
water and the world, judging George
by his portrait, sees in him another
Nicholas, a vacillating creature with
out those firm qualities of kingship
necessary for successful and peaceful
reign.
This popular conception exists not
alone in the United States. but through
out Europe and, to some extent, in
England. He is damned by his beard
and declared wanting by the color of
his eyes. And yet, apart from his face,
there is nothing to warrant the prevail
ing idea of weakness. At that time
in life when Nicholas was being dan
died by nurses. George was pitehforked
into the British navy, there to struS-
gle along without much help, regarded
merely as an offshoot of royalty with
whom something or other had to be
done. 1t was not until he was 80 years
of age that the shadow of the crown
fell upon him and he was made public
property. His photograph became a
familiar cottage adornment in the
United Kingdom-and he has been Hv-
ing down the i'll effects of his face ever
since.
1t was as cadet on H. NJ S. Conway.
a training ship, that 1 had an oppor-
tunity of viewing him. and I recall
now, 10 years later. how soon was dis
PEELED the popular conception of him
which I shared with my fellow cadets.
The occasion was the annual distribu-
ton of prizes and medals among the
cadets, and it had fallen to the lot of
George, at that time duke of York.
to present them. If ever the coming of
royalty was heartily cursed il was on
that occasion. All arrangements had
been made for the prize giving and the
vacation days which followed imme-
diately afterward but at the last mo-
ment it developed that the duke of
York would make the pTesenta tions
and that, in order to have him do so,
the vacation would have to be post
poned week. Below decks there was
nearly a riot when the news was an
nounced. What cared we for royalty ?
Who was this Brighter that came upon
us unannounced and made us work
a week longer? We swore by all the
little tin gods that he was everything
that shouldn't be. and when some en-
terprising cadet discovered a photo
graph of him in the ships library the
comment that followed was decidedly
interesting. He was dubbed "Yorksky'
on the spot, the suffix being considered
particularly in keeping with his Rus
sian countenance.
That horrible week dragged itself
out and the day of the dukes arrival
came at last. / presume such events
are about the same the world over.
There were fond mammas gazing
proudly at their uniformed offspringsi
there were bands, there were crowds
there were cheers. And into the midst
came George.
1 was one of a guard of honor at
the gangway, and 1 noticed with some
surprise that he swung himself aboard
very much like a sailorman. There
was little of the preconceived york
sky about him. and he looked for all
the world like very smart naval Of
fcer-which he was. There was the
direct simplicity of the high seas In
his face, and his voice was the regu-
lation navy talk-talkee, the clean cut
speech of navymen.
In the hours that followed I was
within a few feet of him, and 1 no.
ticed that among the cadets there was
distinct change of sentiment He