Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-07-30
GEORGE US DENIAL
OF NORTHCL|FFE'S
STORY ST|RS PRESS
Action of King in Repudiating
Interview Unprecedented in
British Politics.
THE SOVEREIGN UPHELD

b Associated Press 70 Every Evening.
London July 30.--The sensational
and unpdecedent incident ~ a Britle4
sovereign repudiating to Parliament.
through the Prime Minister. state
noents attributed to him In news
paper Interview. is given the greatess
prominence IN the entire British press
- morning.
Political circles have been able "a
talk Of little else since Prime Minister
Lloyd George appeared in the House
Of Commons yesterday and read a
statement authorized By King George.
IN which the King declared that words
attributed to him concerning the gov
ernmcnt's Irish policy IN q reported
interview in the United States bv Lord
Northcliffe, owner of the London
Times. were "a complete fabrication"
The alleged interview quoted Kfn~
George ~ saying to Premier Lloyd
George just before his majesty Ieft
England 70, open the Ulster psriia-
ment:
Are you going to shoot all the peo-
pie in IreIand?"
The premier Is said 10 have replisd.
no. Your Majesty"
Well, then, you must come 10 some
quoted as saying. This thing car-
not 20 on. I cannot have nv peopJ.
killed IN this manner
THE foregoing convrrsatfo appea~es
in an Interview published IN New
York City. July ., attributed to II
Wiekhsn Steed, editor Of the London
Times. who Is travelling in America
with Northclife. II was given by Nr.
Steed the day after his arrival from
England, ard subsequently appeared
IN English papers attributed directly
70 Lord Northcliffe. The latter yes
terday sent a cablegram from WASH
,s.ssvr 70 Lord Stamfordhann. private
secretary 70 King c. rye, denying the
reported interviews. The cablegrau
said. Please convey 70 His Ma fessv
with my humble duty my denial u
ever having ascrsbed 20 His Majesty
the word or words as stated by the
prime minister today. I gave no sch
interview
British newspapers display the en-
tire affair at great length
The Times. controlled BY Lord North
ciiffe, in an early edition assumed that
the reporter who took tf. alleged in
terview vas ~ruisled by ign0ra nee of
British constitutional practices. but
drama tized the conversation with
such technical skill. that the govern
nlent was induced 70 accent his
version of a purely imaginary con-
versa ton between King George ana
the premier"
This statement does not appear IL
later editions Of the Times neirhar
does the Times nor the Daily Man.
another Northcfife paper. offer 4
further explanation Of Lord North
cline's share in the incident. but both
devote much space IN commenting
upon the kings correct attitude ia
relation 70 his opening or the Belfast
parliament
After ridiculing the attribution Of
such nonsense. 70 the king. the
Morning Post says that Lord North
eliffe's denial was needed -as the
words ascribed to him were not entire
" out Of character to other authentic
utterances from the same lips.
The Daily News. suggesting that
the whole affair may prove TO have
been hoax, adds:
The lesson to be drawn viii bA
simply the danger Of semf-rovai
progress ia foreign countries 81 ry.srina'-
tetic potentates of underlined status.
+t-eA N--A@ 81 q lzSt Al themselves
/ but are an invitation to tha nracri,.l
joker, and a Joke in these serious tfn,...
may Be exceedingly serious and ex-
ceedingiy costly
Assuming that hoax is the explana-
tfon, this paper thinks that Lord
Northciiffe deserves some sympathy.
but adds that he should have chosen
some less Irrelevant country than
America for his triumphal journey ~
the purposes Of advertisement would
have been served equally as weu ~ I
voyage to the pole.