Evening star., 1911-08-27
TROUBLE FACES KING
George V Is Being Forced to
Show His Hand.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS UP
British Statesmen Realize Necessity
for Strong Monarchical Head.
WORK OF NEXT PARLIAMENT
National Insurance Bill Probably
WORK OF NEXT PARLIAMENT
National Insurance Bill Probably
Johnson on Lecture Tour.
Special Cablegram to The Star.

| IoNDoN, august -1TouDle Is d
great clarifier of the atmosphere. Eng
land has received an overdose. The re-
| suit is that the king is being forced to
| show his hand
Heretofore his position compared with
nothing SO much as the convenient means
| for procrastination afforded by a mans
| wife. In the one instance the suppositi-
| tious man, when confronted with knotty
problem, says, ''rll have to ask my wife,
then gees off and takes counsel with
| himself; in the other the various min
| listers, when confronted with a demand
| for political direction, say, "We'H have
| to confer with the king'-then debate
among themselves. Both wife and king
are figureheads.
All this is being changed, however. and
the change is being effected by the rough
hand of trouble in the shape of political
dissensions throughout the United King
dom; the Moroccan question and the onl-
nipresent labor disorders that threaten
the peace of Great Britain. In fact. trou-
BILE has logged the footsteps of King
George since the first day of his acces-
sion. and trouble in the metaphoricaI
guise Of a huntsman has cornered his
majesty and made him show his teeth.
This result has long been sought for in
every strata of political Britain. More
and more do the politicians, financiers
and thinking men of the British Isles re-
allze the necessity of a strong guiding
hand at the helm of the ship of state,
and more and more do they decry the
political decadence that has resulted from
the factional governing Of the mighty
nation. 1t has come to question of
revolution with republican government
as Its aim, or a monarchy with mon
arch of Napoleonic character at its head.
Time Has Come for Action.
The time has come for action The
king can no longer hide behind the skirts
of his ministers. He can no longer veil
his policies with ambiguity, meet them
with equivocation or execute them
through consular proxy He must either
show his hand and prove himself the
master OF the country's destinies or
strengthen the fast-growing sentiment of
dissatisfaction and republicanism boldly
shown among the masses.
That the king realizes this none can
doubt. His action in pledging his sup
port to the government plan to create
enough black-leg peers to override the
house of lords and particularly his tacit
acknowledgment of Ireland's fight for
home rule through the veto bill, have
been great strides in the right direction
He must meet demand with action or
see monarchical power transmitted to re-
publican desire.
adjournment Of parliament is now
sufficiently abated, and the political at
mosphere sufficiently cleared to allow
OF more or less authentic political
forecast of the situation that will con-
front the legislators when they con-
vene this autumn.
Or course, precedence will be given
to the national insurance bill. to whicn
the cabinet attaches great Importance
as an asset, when next they appeal to
the voters of the country. In fact this
measure Is apt to take almost all the
available time. The remaining clauses
will have to be taken in committee:
then will come the third reading and
all the stages in the house of lords
This represents very heavy task in
itself, particularly If, in the meantime
opposition to the measures, as seems
probable, develops. and the various in
terests concerned determine on active
measures in pursuit Of their particular
claims.
Would Welcome Further Delay.
BY the medical profession and the
representatives of the great friendly
societies the adjournment of further
consideration of the measure will be
welcomed. The doctors have already
obtained a number of concessions, but
it may possibly be found, at the next
meeting of the British Medical Associ-
the commons are not sufficiently salts
flying to all the members, and further
pressure either in the house of com
mons or in the upper chamber may be
exerted, with the result that the de-
bates may be prolonged.
On the other hand. some of the lead
ers of the friendly societies are already
in revolt, owing to concessions made to
the doctors. From this quarter 1T is
also anticipated that efforts will be
put forward which will tend not only
to strengthen the discussion in both
houses. but. it may be. TO endanger
justing the difference between the
medical men and the friendly societies
is not regarded very favorably.
In spite Of the fact tat this bill
must occupy practically all the ses-
sion. the ministers still profess to be
lieve that some of the other leading
measures of the government-the shop
hours bill, the coal mines bill, the
naval prize (on which the declaration
of London hangs), the copyright bill
and others-will succeed in getting
through the two houses before the end
Of the year
shared among politicians. 1t is known
that. Mr.. Masterman found the shop
hours bill most unpopular item in
the government program, and it is
said that the cabinet would not be
sorry IL 1t could find an excuse for
dropping that measure. 1t is probable
that some Of the other proposed lesis-
lation will share the same fate.
johnson to Give Lectures.
Jack Johnson, the American heavy
weight champion, is proving himself a
versatile harvester of English currency.
He has not had chance to show his
prowess in the squared circle, so he
evolved a new method of tightening
British pockets. He has turned lee
turer His first lectures will be held in
the ancient town of Edinburgh, Scot
land, beginning August 2S and con-
tinuing till September 2 The subjects
of his dissertations. it is perhaps need
less to say, will be the art of self
defense.
Johnson's determination to break into
the lecture field is not viewed with any
degree of fear by his contemporaries in
the art of talking for money In fact,
erudite Britons look upon the coming
lecture tour in the light of a jest.
Those who make light of the black
champions venture are apt to wind
UP by enyying his coin collection. for
he not only has an immense follow
ing among that class actively interested
in fights. but will be helped by that
peculiarity of British character that
counts black face one of natures
gems of humOr.