Evening star., 1923-06-10

was satisfied that / was one of them.
AS / was In a new silk hat and tail
coat ! looked as distinguished as a
French minister, or, at least, did not
arouse suspicion. The only member
of the party who noticed my step
across the rope was Sir Edward Grey.
He did not give me away. but smiled
at my cool cheek with the suspicion
of wink. AS a matter Of fact. I was
not so cool as I looked. T was in an
awkward situation, because all the
royal party and their company were
busily engaged in conversation, with
the exception Of Queen Alexandra,
who. being deaf, fingered behind to
study the showcases instead of con-
versing. Having no one to talk to,
naturally fingered behind also, and
thus attracted the kindly notice of
the queen mother who made friendly
| remarks about the exhibition, not
hearing my hesitating answers.
For the first time l saw a royal re-
ception by, great crowds from the
point of view of royalty instead of the
crowd--a white sea of faces. indis-
tinguishable. individually, but one big,
staring. thousand eyed face, shouting
and waving all its pocket handker-
chiefs, while bands played God Save
the King" and cameras snapped and
cinema operators turned their ham
dies.
When | returned to my Office I found
the news editor startled by many
photographs of his correspondent
walking solemnly beside Queen Alex
andra The French minister
made a formal protest about his ILL
treatment
LING EDWARD was not friendly
| ly if they try to peep behind the
scenes, but many times I used to go
down to Windsor. sometimes to his
garden parties, and often when the
/ German emperor or some other SOW
ereign was guest at the castle.
/ | had the honor of acting as one OF
bodyguard. in a very literal sense, TO
King Edward on the day he won the
| Derby When Minoru won. a hundred
! thousand men broke all barricades and
made a wild rush toward the royal
stand, cheering with immense enthusi-
asm. According to custom, the winner
had to lead his horse. and without
hesitation King Edward left the safety
of his stand TO come on to the course
amidst the seething, surging. stamped
ing mass of roughs. The Prince OF
Wales, now King George, looked very
l., t. Fr,h L. nA
King Edward, though outwardly calm.
was obviously moved to great emotion.
/ heard his quick little painting breaths.
! He was in real danger because of the
enormous pressure of the foremost mob
being pushed from behind by the tidal
wave of excited humanity. The kings
! detective shouted and used his fists to
keep the people back. as involuntarily
| they jostled the king. The correspond
ents, photographers and others linked
arms and succeeding in keeping a little
/ air space about the king until he had
| led his horse safely inside.
! BY a curious freak of chance, l and
| young collegiate on the same paper
| the Daily Cnronic!e-were the first peo
| pie in the world, outside Buckingham
! Palace. to hear Of the death OF King
I Edward.
! The official bulletins were grave. but
! not hopeless, and the last issued on the
! night of his death was more cheerful.
All day l had been outside the palace.
/ writing in the rain under an umbrella
long description Of the amazing
scenes which showed the depths OF
emotion stirred in the hearts OF all
classes by the thought that Edward
VII was passing from England.
| I believe now that beyond the hold
he had on the minds Of great numbers
of the people because Of his human
qualities and the tradition Of his states
manship and tact" there was an in
tuitive sense in the nation that after
/ his death the peace Of Europe would
| be gravely disturbed by some world
war. remember that thought was
expressed to me by man in the crowd.
who said. After Edward-Armaged
don!'
It was a great. ever changing crowd
made up of every condition of men and
women in London-duchesses and great
ladies, peers and costers, actresses, beg
gars. workingwomen, foreigners, poll
! ticians, parsons. shop girls, laborers