Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-06-13

sx IAr1Es a. EDeERToN.

Gras festival Of the century.
It win probably attract more
snobs than any event In the worlds
history up to now. Everybody who
wants to appear better than others
because Of dollars or birth or show
or other outward accident rather than
by brains and inner merit VIII be
there If he can possibly raise the
price. 1t VIII be q royal circus. an
imperial show, a stately spectacle OF
bunk and pretense. At the very mo-
ment Great Britain Is putting the
lords out OF the real government they
viii be on dress parade at this func-
ton. one holding the kings crown,
another hts shoe, while still another
washes the royal dishes. Well. from
all appearances that Ia about what
they are good for.
Strangely enough, the whole affair
is In perfect keeping. Inasmuch as
monarchy In England-and in most
other countries-has become mere
show, it is fitting that the coronation
should be the very acme OF the hollow
and spectacular. The only figure lack,
ing to make the thing perfect is the
court fool. There has be- nothing
about him in the press dispatches.
This is surely an oversight, but per
haps there will be so many dukes and
earls present that he will not be
needed, or it may be that the whole
pageant is such a perfect incarnation
Of folly that a court fool would be
super1uous. His attendance would De
like carrying Goals to Newcastle
Then, again. it may be the managers
of the coronation excluded the court
fool to avoid invidious comparisons
They feared he might appear a wise
man by contrast.
Last Previous Coronation.
It has been nine years since Lon
don saw a coronation, Edward VII.
having been crowned in August, 1902.
The date Of the event was originally
fixed for June %, but an illness Of the
king caused it to be postponed. This
year it is set for June D. The London
tradesmen. English mobiles and Ameri-
can toadies are making the most Of 1t
for the reason that 1t may be long be-
fore they witness another one. George
V. is only forty-six and comes OF long
lived race. His father was much older
when he assembled the throne, which
accounts for the shortness of his reign.
Queen Victoria, the grandmother of
the present king, reigned more than
fifty years.
There are many Englishmen who say
this is the last coronation that will
ever be seen in Great Britain. Evi-
IDENTIFY they think that when the Eng
lish people get through trimming the
peers they will seek the man higher
up" 1t is not alone disgust with an
outworn system that prompts these ex-
pressions. but there is a personal note
also in evidence. Whatever the rea-
son. King George is not so popular
as either his father or grandmother
At this distance he seems a fairly
good sort, rather colorless, perhaps,
with virtues of the negative sort, no
vices TO speak of and ability of quiet !
kind. His accession to the throne was |
followed by all sorts of scandal, one |
to the effect that he had a morganatic |
marriage with the daughter of an Eng |
fish admiral and another charging him |
with drinking to excess. Both stories
have been denied by his friends, one |
editor having been imprisoned for pub |
fishing the story of the morganatic |
marriage. AS for the drinking stories, |
these are generally discredited. In |
fact. the prevailing opinion nowadays |
is that the king is a model young |
man who stays home nights and is |
a rather humdrum, middle class in |
dividual who would make a typical |
English squire. Possibly these tales |
of his correct behavior account for |
the fact that he is not so popular as |
his father. conventionality not being |
considered quite the thing among the |
British aristocracy. OF course. since i
the advent of George v. the toadies of |
two hemispheres have vigorously de-
MED his unpopularity. but what else |
would you expect of toady?
A Great Splurge.
Anyway. they are to make a great
splurge over his coronation. The pro-
spective number Of American dollars in
is creating Joy among the |
London tradesmen. hotel keepers and |
owners of window lodges and side
walk space along the line Of march.
1t Will be a great display OF form, mil
linery and moth eaten titles. AS q
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