Evening star., 1923-03-22
EDITORIAL DIGEST

be forced to deal and wishes to pre-
pare himself to meet it should the oc-
Casion arise. 1t is evident that the
old ruling class. with exclusive prvi-
lege of access to the ear Of the mon
arch. is wabbling on its supports"
been subjected to much criticism by
their suspicious followers" means
little as the New York World sees it.,
''as it is certain the meeting was of
the kings seeking. Instead of finding
fault with its leaders. the labor party
, might far better rejoice at the sign
of the times. Whatever the king may
think Of labor's governmental policies,
he evidently regards the party as q
good sporting proposition in politics
and is preparing for the day when he
will be called on to receive its leaders
officially in Buckingham Palace" The
king was simply following in the
footsteps of present day royalty, as
the Indianapolis Star views the din
ner, although the gathering as a
social affair was one in which the
members Of the British nobility never
before had mingled. 1t was not less,
an experience in democracy for the
king and queen than for the laborite
guests. Yes, the status of kings has
changed, but they gain. not lose"
King George himself asked for the
opportunity of meeting I'm this way
representative members of the labor
party and their wives" says the
Louisville Post "and doubtless his
idea was all right. But to Americans
the custom that requires these guests
to dress themselves up in knee
breeches seems a little silly. Some
thing could easily have been conceded
to custom We assume that these
labor parliamentarians long ago
equipped themselves with ordinary
dress clothes. which every one wears
in the evening in London. But why
did the king require them, or why
does he require any one, to dress in
knee breeches and silk stockings?"
Out of the ordinary as the occasion
was. the Bristol Herald-Courier sug-
gests "one may well wish that such
occasions may become of frequent
occurrence, that royalty in England
may oftener meet the leaders Of the
different classes Of English people on
a social level. The average working
man in England may have felt like
throwing the paper down and Jump
ing on 1t when he read about those
knickers, but on reflection he should
agree that 1t was right and proper
that the labor leaders should show a
disposition to meet the king and
queen half way" 1t is that particu-
lar variety of hokum which produces
sockless Simpsons and overall sena-
tors in this country which is stirring
up the row in England over this re-
ception," the Philadelphia Bulletin
holds. because 'its social reception
by royalty was in effect notice that
the crown is taking account of the
possibility of labor ministry. 1t was
| tribute to a new political force that
should please none more than the
labor partisans, whose 1unatic fringe
presumabl Is alone responsible for
this carping at sensible acceptance
| of a kings courtesy" The purely So
cialistic point of view, however is
n~lr T.1
which disapproves the meeting and
insists "the representative Of the
worker owes 1t to himself as we'll as
to the movement to avoid such social
functions. He may return from them
as devoted to his class as ever, but
suspicion is likely to follow him and
develop factions that could have been
avoided"