The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-15
BUCK PRIVATE HAS
Time WITH PRINCESS
Swaps Opinions Wfth the Queen and
A Dances With Her Daughter.

AfE~Aes-BaiBA June i&--@=For a mere
buck private to dance with princess
and swap opinions with a queen may
Seem unusual, but now that the world
has been made safe for democracy
even stranger things than that may
happen
And when Jimmy Green comes
home and begins to tell you that Prin-
oess Marie sure Is some swell dancer
and that Queen Marie and he chatted
together. don't be too sure that he Is
trying to hid you He may have photo
graphs to prove hts assertion.
1t an happened at Afx-les- Bains
when the Queen of Rumania, her
daughter. the Princess Marie; the
queens sister, the rnfanta Beatrice of
Spain: Miss Kennedy, lady in waiting
and General Baillief OF the Rumanian
general stan came to AK recently to
visit the Y. NJ. c.
After witnessing a typical leave area
program in the famous Casino, which
the ~" now conducts for the Ameri-
can soldier, after meeting the Y. M.
G. A. girls who are here to give the
place a touch Of home, after having
the rubin ents OF baseball explained to
her by an American private, the queen
summed up her impressions in these
words:
|
me with envy. I have tried to do
what | could for our soldiers, but
RumaI1ia is go reduced. so stricken"
And your women" the queen
added, ARE remarkable. You can be
SO sure OF them"
! The queens invitation to visit AK
was given by John B. Howarth, of De-
troft, divisional secretary for the Y.
M. c. A. who had heard that she was
interested in Americans. She was
asked come to see not only tho boys,
but the method OF keeping them con-
tented so far from home Weeks
Isiipped by, and seemingly the chance
had gone a glimmering when sud
denly there came a wire that her
| Majesty had accepted
! Now every American boy, no mat
ter how good "A Democrat he may be
at heart wants a queen to look like a
queen and a princess to look like a
princess. a regular story book princess
| II you WILL for that Is the only sort
that he has ever run across. And
while the queen was coming to see
the doughboys. the doughboys Incl
dentally were going to see the a.. cen
Would she measure up to the require
ments?
She dtd, fully. Tbs first glimpse
that the boys got of the royal party
was at the formal reception arranged
in the gallery overlooking the gardens
Of the Casino. The quettn and her en-
tourage and the Y. NJ. C. A. host and
hostesses were seated on dais. Be-
side the queens party there was Mrs.
Helen E. Wrenn for the ~" ladies'
Colonel Samuel Reber for the army
and Mr.. Howarth for the Y. M. c. A.
As the Yankee lads cross the gallery
In columns OF twos. and gave their
snappiest salute, with eyes left you
could almost hear the eyes click. For
each couple that passed the queen had
a smile and bow. Some Of tho boys
may have been disappointed because
the queen was not wearing a crown,
but that disappointment quickly give
way instantly to admiration for
Her regular Grecian features lacked
the Grecian GOODNESS and her natural
dignity was tempered with = human
frie ndliness. She looked as the queen
of Rumanfa and the daughter Of
Duke Saxe-Coburg -Gotha. an English
princess. might have been expected to
look, and yet her sympathetic smile
made the boys declare her "a regular
woman"
But the formal reception only began
their acquaintance with the queen
She had heard of Yankee pep" She
wanted to see the boys in action in
their American games, So they called
Tor She athletic director, Chester G.
Murphy, Portland, Oregon, man,
who forgets he's lawyer when any
one grows reminiscent about football
at ale, twenty years ago.
With the queen and her party seated
on balcony overlooking huge cage.
Murphy put on his "roughhouse"
games. There was indoor baseball for
"A starter. The queen was so interested
that she called a soldier to her side to
explain 1t to her.
lou see it's this way, mam,--oYur
Majesty, l mean--the guy at bat COTS
three swings II he wallops the pill
and beats the throw to first, he's safe,
see ?"
How interesting" murmured the
queen.
The whistle blew and new game
Afa rtod---blfndfold hoyipc-njctt v,na~