Evening star., 1923-06-10
BY SIR PHILIP GIBBS

U WAS once a literary attendant
; al the birth of a princess, and
look back 20 that event with
particular gratitude because it
gave me considerable acquaintance
. with the masterpieces of Dutch art
and the beauties Of Dutch cities. I
also learned to read Dutch with fair
case. owing TO the long delay in the
arrival of Queen Wilhelmina's
d. daughter.
r For some reason. at time before
. the great war had given new pro-
portion to world events, this expec-
tatton of an heir to the Dutch
throne was considered OF enormous
political Importance, as the next Of
kin was a German prince. Corre-
spondents and secret agents came
from all parts of Europe to the little
- old city of The Hague. and I had
among my brothers OF the pen two
Of the best known journalists in
Europe. one of whom was Ludovic
Nodeau OF LIE Journal and the other
Hamilton Fyfe Of the Daily Mail.
Every night in the old white
palace of The Hague we three. and
six others Of various nationalities,
were entertained at a banquet in
the rooms of the queens chamberlain,
the Jonkheer van Heen, who had
placed his rooms at our disposal
Flunkeys in royal livery, with
powdered wigs and silk stockings.
conducted us with candles to we'll
spread table, and always the queen's
chamberlain announced to us SOL
emnly in six languages: Gentlemen, n,
the happy event wilt take place to-
morrow"
Tomorrow came, and month of
tomorrows. but no heir TO the throne
OF Holland. Three times, owing to
false rumors. the Dutch army came
into the streets and drank not wisely
but too we'll to a new born prince
who had not come!
Ludovic Nodeau. Hamilton Fyfe
and explored Holland. learnt Dutch,
and saw the lime tree outside the
palace become heavy, with foliage.
though it was bare at our coming.
r. X
rTsHE correspondent of The Times
l. had a particular responsibility
because he had promised to telephone
to the British ambassador. who, in
his turn. was to telegraph to King
Edward, at any time Of the day or
night that the event might happen.
But the correspondent of the Times,
who was a very young man. and
fed up with all this baby stuff.
absented himself from the banquet
one night. In the early hours of the
morning, when he was asleep at his
hotel. the queens chamberlain ap-
peared. with tears running down his
cheeks. and announced in six
languages that princess had been
horn.
1t was Hamilton Fyfe and ] who
gave the news to the Dutch people
AS we ran down the street to the
postofice men and women came
out onto the balconies in their night
attire and shouted for news.
Princess, Princess," we cried. Al
hour later The Hague was thronged
with joyous, dancing people. Tha
morning the ministers of state linked
hands and danced with the people
down the main avenue-as though
Lloyd George and his fellow minister
had performed a fox-trot in White
hall With quaint old-world Gus
toms. heralds and trumpeters an
nounced the glad tidings, alread,
known. and driving in horse-cai
to watch i had fight with a Dutcl
photographer who tried to take pos
session of my vehicle. That nigh
the Dutch army rejoiced. boisterously
Although | cannot boast OF fa-
miliarity with emperors, like Oscar
Browning. and have been more IL
the position of the cat who can lool
at king. according to the proverb
can claim to have heard one crown
ed head utter an epigram on th'
spur of the moment.
It-was in the war between Bulgaris
and Turkey of 1912, and I was stand
on the bridge over the Martha river
at Mustapha Pasha (now the new
boundary of the Turks in Europe.
when Ferdinand of Bulgaria arrived
with his staff Because of the eli
mate, which was cold there, I wa.
wearing the fur cap of Bulgarian
peasant. a sheepskin coat, and leg
gins andN believed myself to bt
Sheroughls disguised as a Buigar