Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-02-01

LONDON, January %.
THERE is an uncommonly in
teresting secret-which ex-
elusive inside information
/ enables me to let out-behind
the extraordinary tour in
British East Africa that is now being
made by the youthful Duke and
Duchess Of York
This secret directly involves the
dukes popular elder brother, the
Prince of Wales. But hold on, Let's
tell the story in its proper sequence.
Why to goodness, 1t has been asked
many times since they set out, have
King Georges second son and his
very attractive young duchess gone
to Africa, anyhow? Why are they
now in the wilds of Kenya Colony,
threatened by lions, getting stung by
all the insect pests OF the jungle,
drenched to their skins by tropical
rains and Jared to the marrow as
often as the auto in which they are
ION Safari" hits a hidden rock, when
they might as we'll be comforta ably at
home here where they are 80 genu-
inely popular and so constantly in
demand?
The reasons that have been given,
officially, semi officially and quasi
officially (whatever that means) for
the trip on which the duke and
duchess embarked in the early days
Of December and which will keep
them travelling until the beginning
of April. sound convincing enough.
But, according to my information,
they are one and all apple sauce"
The official explanation of the tour
by the duke and duchess through
Kenya Colony and the State of
Uganda, broadcast before they set
| out is that their royal highnesses,
having had an extremely strenuous
period of functions during the past
year, now desire to see a portion of
the empire under holiday conditions"
Semi Officially. it has been stated
that the trip is "a sort Of preliminary
canter preparatory to the Duke of
FORKS appointment to an imperial
post"
Quasi-officially, the explanation has
been vouchsafed that this trip, the
first empire one that the pretty young
duchess has made, has been under
taken largely to test her royal
highness ability to withstand the
effect Of a tropical climate in case it
is decided later to appoint the duke
governor of some part of the empire
lying within the tropics"
X
facts The duke and duchess. 1
| am informed by persons in excep-
tionally close touch with them, are
making this trip in the Dark Cont
nent mainly because the Prince Of
Wales, instead of marrying, as, ac-
cording to all the royal rules he
ought to have done long ago, OBJ
stinately persists in remaining in a
state of single blessedness.
The connection may not be readily
apparent, but 1t is there all the same
If the heir to the throne were mar
ried, instead of occupying what
amounts to mere bachelor diggings in
one corner Of St. James Palace, as
he does now, and just having a few
pals in to a dinner dance occasional
| ly, he would have a big establishment
(probably at Marlborough House, the
royal residence in London where his
royal papa and mamma lived before
they became King and Queen). and,
with his princess, would give con-
stantly the kind of swagger enter
tainments that are expected from a
future sovereign.
But, as the prince persists in
| staying single, it is up to the Duke
| of York, as the only married son of
the sovereign, to do, at least for
part OF the year, what the heir to
the throne ought TO De DONG In the
| way of entertaining and performing
social stunts. And the hard, cold
truth is that the duke just can't
afford to, Not for very long, any
way.
Hence the visit to British East
Africa, which was arranged, accord
! ing to my authoritative information,
primarily in order to enable his
royal highness and his duchess to
out down their ordinary expenses and
| save money, which they are going to
need urgently when Spring brings
| the next London season.
For when the season arrives, this
royal pair will be expected to enter
tain on much larger scale than
they have done hitherto; larger than
their combined incomes make 1t pos
sible for them to do. That income,
hefty as it will seem, when disclosed,
to most people, is not sufficient to
enable the duke and duchess to live
in the style that they personally,
because of their rank. would wish to
maintain, to say nothing OF AsDa-