The Washington times., 1920-01-24
What We Learned From the
Visits of Royalties

The visits OF the King OF Belgium and the Prince OF
Wales to this country revelations to many Ame!
The King of the Begians had become an international
hero account of his hardshps and Americans had
dowed him in their imagination with superior qualities Of
mind and heart and democratic sentiment, which, on
closer view, he did not seem to possess.
His first action arriving in the country to de-
eide for what part of the United States had been
ery loyal during the and what part had not and
exclude Illinois and Wisconsin and other States from
his itinerary because they did not entertain according to
his ideas. the right kind of patriotic sentiment
We do not know what the good King Of Belgium based
his decision Certainly Wisconsin entertained the right
kind of patriotic sentiment in regard to the United States
and its activities in the war; for it contributed larger
number Of volunteers in proportion to its population than
any other State in the Union Illinois far behind
It could not have been lack Of friendly feeling toward
Belgium, because State contributed literally to
the various charities which tended to relieve the suffering
of the Begians than Illinois, and city more literally
than Chicago
It would appear therefore, that the good King Of the
Beans had proper and decent ground for attempting
to discriminate between this and that State and this and
that city in the United States.
And it very obvious at the time that even If he
had had ground particularly unwise and impotc
to attempt to tell Americans what their duty to their
country, what their iberalty should have been
to his country:
"Beggars must be no choosers and guests of any In
telgence and refinement should not be critics of their
hosts.
And so the American people came at the end OF the
Belgian Kings visit to realize that the merely
hero of any of the character with
out any of the ability without any of the tact simple
unassuming democracy that imagination had clothed
him with
Then the little Prince of Wales the heir apparent
to of the mighty empires of the earh for matter
what may think of its and methods of becoming
mighty empire, must realize that it IS mighty en-
pire-founded force, builded on oppression but
mighty empire
If had expected snobbishness in royalty superior
and patronzng air disposition dictate and criticize
would have expected in the Prince of Wales because
these largely English characteristics and might have
been found in exaggerated form in English royalty
But the little Prince of Wales wholly simple
wholly sensible, entirely unaffected notably democratic
and thoroughly inclined to accommodate himself to Aer
conditions and requirements and to comply with what
plan and to enjoy whatever program prepared
for him in the exercise of American hospitality
And the Prince of Wales grew in our opinion and
went away quite big man, although youth while
King Albert of Belgium shrunk very much in our opinion
and went away little admired and considerably resented
The future will probably discover events will doubt
less later disclose that the difference between the two
visitors is largely mental and that the little Prince has
less vanity and more brains
Certainly there is not much evidence Of inteipence
in Kings assuming to criticize and insult large and
important part Of country when he has held out his
hat for contributions from ALL of country so often
in the past and will surely do again.
WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST.