Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-05
UNDERWORLD AIDS
|NGUARD|NGPR|NC
Unknown Admirers Protect
Wales in Journeys to
Rough Places.
of The Star and the %orth
American NeMspaper Alllance.l

Correspondence of The Star and the North
American Newspaper Allianee.1
LONDON, May 15.-The Prince OF
Wales has obtained for himself a
freedom of movement greater than
any heir to the British throne has
ever before possessed.
Three detectives from Scotland
Yard are supposed to furnish the pre-
lection which the Princes night traV-
els and Summing expeditions neces-
state, but the Prince would not toll
crate constant shadowing.
The Prince of Wales has in reality
guard more effective than any Scot
land Yard could furnish him. This
guard consists Of men of the under
| world, and among their kind it is
well understood that no one must
harm or annoy the Prince, under
penalty Of considerably rougher treat
ment than the regularly constituted
authorities would ever mete out.
| A short time ago the Prince at.
| tended Il boxing match at a London
| sporting club. a thoroughly reputable
place, but situated close to a semi
slum district and frequented by
nights. No leading member of the
royal family, in pre-war days would
have dreamed Of visiting such a place.
| certainly not alone. but the Prince
strolled in by himself. smoking a pipe
and wearing a dinner jacket.
Strangers Treated Roughly.
During the matches he talked to
the strangers on each side Of him.
| and afterward these men asked him
to have a drink. When he declined
and started TO move away they
walked along on each side of him and
gave signs of being troublesome. An
instant later they were propelled a
| dozen yards from the Prince, who
smiled and went out. When the
two men emerged, a little later, they
were distinctly disheveled, but much
more conversant with royal etiquette.
The Prince knows that this guard
watches over him, though he has no
idea of the identity of it's members
His popularity in the underworld is
immense. The Prince has generously
helped numbers Of men who have
gone wrong to go straight by gifts
Of money. by investigation of their
cases and by personal intervention
in their affairs. Many Of these men
go wrong again, but they remember
the Prince gratefully and help 10
make London safe for him.
The Prince has always gone wher.
ever he pleased perfectly fearlessly; to
places where no dukes son or million
aires son would dare to go. When the
King and Queen do" the slums their
trip is preceded by immense prepare
tions. When the Prince goes to the
East End he simply goes there. One
night he tended bar at the East End
pub, and one of the men he served was
a man whom he had helped, but who
had persistently gone wrong.
Acted as BOdyguard.
D,,k RAn& =. HA1. T.
when the Prince got into his car and
saw that his royal highness got away
without too much handwriting.
Old-fashioned people about the court
arr somewhat alarmed by this smash.
ing of the barriers which hedge roy.
atty about. Edward always maintain
ed this distinction of class, even among
his intimate friends. Sir Ernest Cas-.
sell and Lord Rothschild always ad.
dressed him as sir or your majesty;
never seated themselves in his pres.
ence without an invitation and always
Kept their faces to him In leaving his
presence.
1t was exactly the same when Ed.
ward was Prince of Wales. The Pres.
ent Prince does not maintain any such
position. His friends style him
Prince and they don't back out OF his
| presence. He has broken down many
| of the social barriers about royalty by
insisting that he be treated as friend
| by his friends.
And despite this democracy the
Prince has never been placed in a posi-.
ton derogatory to his rank He has
never been placed, as was Edward,
who, as Prince of Wales, once had Ice
cream poured down his neck by Mrs.
Langtry, after dinner at Marlbor.
ough House.
Copyright, 1927, in all countries by North
| American Newspaper Alliance.l