The Washington herald., 1922-06-25
Return of Prince of Wales
Brings Cheer to England
Typical of English Youth at
Its Best.

Wales, was standing ON ground
where once stood another Prince
of wales. 500 years before. and not
far from the ground where Henry
-Falstaff's Prince of wales--ad-
vanced to the Battle of Agincourt
on st. Crispin's day.
Adventures In Shell Fire.
Afterward I saw the prince in
queer places, where IL was nor at
all safe to be. He used to motor
around with a bunch of young
guards officers and leave his carr
under shelter of bit of ruin, then
go walking into places "taped out"
as we called IL, by the German
gunners-no health resorts. One
day as we walked into the dirty
ruin called Vermelles one OF the
unholtest spots on the British front,
high explosive she'll came along
and blew his chauffeur's head off.
That didn't stop his adventures in
shell fire.
Orders from home came, but te
played truant many times for the
front-line stunt When the King
came out the second time. the
prince went on Messines Ridge.
| which was just captured. and when
the Germans started their usual
morning hate, the prince was wan
dering around patch of earth
which. was unpleasantly within
their line OF fire.
Anxious About King.
He didn't stop. he didn't show by
the flicker of an eyelid that this
shell fire disturbed his peace of
l mil ha
of German occupation. There was
day at the front when he was
deeply disturbed. 1t was when the
King was thrown from his horse.
which slipped in the greasy mud of
Flanders field during a review of
the guards. ] was standing imme-
diately opposite the King when he
| fell under the horse. and when he
was picked up by generals who ran
to him he looked badly hurt. as in .
deed he was. l saw him carried
away in an ambulance next day like
an ordinary casualty and there
were only a few who knew how ill
he was for little while the young
| Prince of Wales, who saw the
him. was desperately anxious.
Held job With Guards.
He was no mere joy rider at the
front or onlooker at other mems
service. He held a job with the
guards given him in the quarter
masters department. and did it
very well. 1 heard him once or
dering supplies. He always had a
joke for his fellow officers and one
day towards the end of the war.
when dynasties were falling like a
pack of cards, he came down TO
breakfast in the guards mess room
with the CHEEKY remark. Well
gentlemen, crowns are cheap to-
day"
Since then he is older in years
and knowledge, responsibilities es
have sharpened the lines on his
face. He is not always in the mar
ry mood of boyishness. he has been
touched by the great problems
which he has already had to face.
| There is steel in him, as well as a
laughing spirit. He is learning the
quality of command. as well as
comradeship.
symbol OF English Youth.
l have written about him because
this boy. the Prince of Wales. is to
some extent typic. the symbol OF
that English youth which will be
called upon to face the unknown
future, not without many lurking
perils in its mystery, not without
a challenge. To the supremacy of
the race. but full of promise IL
British youth plays up to its
chances. going ahead with courage.
not afraid to change to the new
ideas, yet not forgetting the herI-
tage of the old past, with its quail
ity and character of adventure.
Foreigners may think this prince
stuff' hopelessly out of date, but
they cannot understand England IL
they don't see in this periodical
homage of people to the leading
boy sentiment bound up with
old romance and history, intensi-
fed by the character of that lad
who is not extraordinary or "en-
dowed with unusual qualities" but
is most liked because he is as or
dinary, natural and jolly as the
best type Of boy produced by Brit
| ish stock.
Copyright, 1927
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