The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1918-10-04

| drive me to Buckingham palace, as
though was paying my regular morn
ing call on the king.
My friends version of this incident
I have since heard, is that l seated
myself in the taxi and leaning through
| the window said: buckingham pal.
ace!" whereupon the taxi driver got
! down, opened the door and exclaimed
| threateningly:
eff you don't get out quietly and
chuck your drunken talk, I'll jolly
quick call a bobby, biz me, If ]
WON'T"
But 1 can only give my word that
nothing of the kind occurred.
When 1 arrived at the palace gate,
the sentry on guard asked me who
was and then let me pass at once
up to the front entrance of the palace.
There 1 was met by an elaborately
uniformed and equally elaborately
decorated parsonage who, judging by
the long row of medals he wore, must
have seen long and distinguished serv-
ice for the king.
l was relieved of my overcoat, hat
and stick and conducted up a long
stairway, where 1 was turned over to
another functionary, who led me to
the reception room of Earl Cromer,
the kings secretary.
There l was introduced to another
earl and a duke, whose name do not
remember. 1 was becoming so bewil-
dered, in fact, that it is wonder that
| l remember as much as 1 do of this
eventful day.
1 had heard many times that before
being presented to the king man is
coached carefully as to just how he is
to act and what he is to say and do,
and all this time / was wondering
when this drilling would commence.
1 certainly had no idea that I was to
be ushered into the august presence
of the king without some preliminary
instruction.
Earl Cromer and the other noblemen
talked to me for while and got me
to relate in brief the story of my ex-
perience, and they appeared TO be
very much interested. Perhaps they
did it only to give me confidence and
as sort of rehearsal for the main
performance, which was scheduled to
take place much sooner than l ex-
pected.
I had barely completed my story
when the door opened and an attend
ant entered and announced:
''The king will receive Leftenant
O'Brien ~
If he had announced that the kaiser
was outside with a squad of German
guards to take me back to Courtrai
my heart could not have sunk deeper.
Earl Cromer beckoned me to follow
him and we went into a large room,
where 1 supposed 1 was at last to re-
| ceive my coaching, but / observed the
earl bow to a man standing there and
realized that 1 was standing in the
presence of the king of England.
"Your majesty, Leftenant O'Brien y
the earl announced, and then immedi-
ately backed from the room. l be-
lieved l would have followed right
behind him, but by that time the
hIuS udu uS Uy luc manu- dLht was
congratulating me, and he spoke SO
very cordially and democratically
that he put me at my ease at once.
He then asked me how l felt and
| whether 1 was in a condition to con-
| verse, and when l told him l was, he
said he would be very much pleased
to hear my story in detail.
"Were you treated any worse by the
| Germans. leftenant?" he asked, ION
account of being an American? I've
| heard that the Germans had threat
ened to shoot Americans serving In
the British army if they captured
them, CHASING them as murderers
because America was neutral coun'
try and Americans had no right to
mix in the war. Did you find that to
be the case?"
1 told him that I had heard similar
reports, but that l did not notice any
appreciable difference in my treat
ment from that accorded Britishers
The king declared that he believed
my escape was due to my pluck and
will power and that it was one of the
| most remarkable escapes he had ever
heard of, which l thought was quite
a compliment, coming as it did from
the king Of England.
II hope that all the Americans will
give as good an account of themselves
as you have, leftenant," he said, "and
| feel quite sure they will. l fully
appreciate all the service rendered us
by Americans before the States en-
tered the war"
At this moment l asked him if
was taking too much time.
"Not at all, leftenant, not at al! |!
he replied, most cordially; Il was
extremely interested in the brief re
port that came to me of your wonder
full escape and 1 sent for you because
1 wanted to hear the whole story first
hand, and l am very glad you were
| able to come"
l had not expected to remain more
than a few minutes, as l understood
that four minutes is considered a long
audience with the king. Fifty-twc
minutes elapsed before l finally left
| there!
During all this time l had done most
Of the talking, in response to the
kings request to tell my story. Occa
sionalIy he interrupted to ask ques
ton about point he wanted me tC
make clear, but for the most part he
was content to play the part of lis
tener.
He seemed to be very keen on every
thing and when l described some OF
the tight holes l got into during my
escape he evinCed his sympathy. Oc
casiOnalIy l introduced some of the
few humorous incidents of my adven
ture and in every instance he laughed
heartily.
Altogether the impression l got OF
him was that he is a very genial
gracious and alert sovereign. l know
l have felt more ill at ease when talk
ing to a major than when speaking