Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1913-03-29
hat RULERS READ
atty Keeps In Touch With Con-
temporary Events.
George and the Kaiser Blessed
|th RetentIve Misunderstanding
pf Spain Likes English News-
papers.

Nat majesty that hens in a crown
Norces the wearer to adopt q mode
fe quite apart from that OF other
affords, one may think, but little
rtunity for kings to come in con
with the problems which confront
subjects. London Answers OBJ
es.
fis, however. is not the case. Mod
|rulers, at any rate, do. not bury
selves In seclusion, but seek, az
rrly as does the man In the street,
hep in touch with the doings of the
ii-and through the same medium
h is only by means of the news
,rs that any man can become &C
hted with happenings outside his
restricted sphere OF life.
he late Queen Victoria. 1t is true,
n rarely looked at newspaper per
lilly. None the less she had the
bs read aloud to her every day
all articles of personal interest
cut out and pasted up in books
future reference.
'milarly. King Edward, though nev
fry fond OF reading, had all tmpor
foreign kilograms lard before him,
the parliamentary reports; while
ehooved the first sportsman of Eu
he took very real interest in
sporting pages of the newspapers.
}ng George, however, being mon
4 who believes in doing things for
|Belf. reads the papers carefully
while doing so jots down notes
hlly in the form of questions about
|ters upon which his secretaries
called upon to give fuller informa.
later In the day.
be kaiser, too,' is great reader.
a memory no less retentive than
of his cousin, the king of Eng
What is more, so far from con,
1g himself solely to papers of gen.
interest, the kaiser Is also an as.
BUS reader of technical journals
b. that Is to say, which deal with
ike subjects upon which the ruler
'ermany is really an authority. and
" to converse as such with experts.
~ king of Spain has passion for
'fthing English, and is kept always
Supplied with London newspapers
magazines. For accounts of the
Jennings In his own dominions he
3 mainly upon his secretaries and
officials OF his court.
\ is admiration for British journal.
WAS shared by the late emperor OF
* n, who, although unable to read
Of English. had all the principal
les from the London newspapers
reviews translated into the Japa-
language for his special benefit
Ne kings of Italy and Denmark
are devoted readers of magazines,
y Abdul Hamid, the late sultan
tirkey, who was commonly regard
s the most exclusive of Orientals.
good care to be well informed OF
was going on in the world.
\ relied for his information for the
part upon French papers. and at
Royal palace two officials were
banently kept whose sole duty II
I to read through these papers and
'nit to memory such passages as
deemed likely to prove interest
living listened to a recitation O.
'hews, the sultan would sometimes
doubts upon certain of the state.
rs made. The officials then were
Id upon to substantiate thep. and
betide them If they failed to pro.
sufficient evidence.
bt in this respect the famous iowa
Empress OF China was probably the
exacting of all the worlds rulers
Information of importance culled
the newspapers had to be copied
pm sheets of very fine rice paper
I'd in silk and then rolled on ivory
rs. The news was then read to
Empress from these scrolls by an
+ 3al of the court, who, seeing that
las not deemed worthy of gazing
Pc great lady's face, was compelled
brform his unenviable task while
prostrate on the floor behind
IN.
Fiously enough. the monarch most
pr touch with the doings of the
N is European. The czar OF Rus
n fact, has newspaper all his
printed specially for him every
ing. Two copies only are sup
lone for the czar himself. the
j for his private secretary. But,
were larger circulation per
K d, 1t is doubtful II the paper
find one, for this two page sheet
exceeding dullness. anything cal
a led in any way to disturb the
peace of mind being carefully
ded