The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-03-06
BY II. l.. PERCY
United Press staff Correspondent

LONDON. March 6.-His majesty,
King George V of Great Britain Is
the pilot steering the British ship OF
state through the economic crisis.
It is his hand that has guided the
policies Of his leading statesmen, and
his decision that has ended indie
cision.
This is the consensus, Cleaned by
a canvass of politicians, based on
the epochal events since the down
fall Of the Labor government in
1881
Ofhcialdom probably would deny
that the king has had finger in its
pie. for, constitutionally, he is neu-
trail But there have been unmis-
taxable evidence of the royal touch.
Perhaps the outstanding example
of this royal power is the behind
the-scenes story of the formation Of
the national government.
When the Labor cabinet split and
fell, in 1881, over the question Of un-
employment insurance, Prime Min
lister Ramsay Macdonald went to
Buckingham Palace and rendered
his resignation.
Disregards Precedents
According to precedent, and on
MacDonald's advice, the king should
have invited the Conservative lead
er, Stanley Baldwin, or Arthur Hen
derSon, as head of the largest Labor
faction, to form a new government
King George did neither. Disre-
garding all precedent, he asked
Macdonald to try to form another
cabinet. Whether or not coalition
was his suggestion is hard to say
but there is no doubt that it met
with his approval.
This is seen by the fact that when
Macdonald found himself faced
with difficulties in obtaining the CO.
operation of the other parties, King
George summoned the prime min
lister and Baldwin to the palace, to-
gether with the Liberal leader, Sir
Herbert Samuel.
The story goes that he told them
very plainly-and the king is known
for his blunt, sailorly language
that the matter was urgent and
must not be delayed. He gave them
an hour to make up their minds.
Within that hour the government
was formed.
Shows Intense Interest
King George was aware Of the
seriousness of the situation just be-
fore the suspension of the gold
standard in September, 1881 Many
were the talks he had with his close
friends, including Lord Lee of Fare
ham, the millionaire philanthropist,
and Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Jel-
liCoe, in which he expressed his
anxiety. There is no doubt that he
was advised of and fully approved
the suspension of the gold standard
Never before has the king shown
such an intense interest in the daily
occurrences of dominion, foreign
and home policy. He must have
established a record for the number
of ministers and others summoned
to audiences during the past year.
Prime Minister Ramsay MacDon-
aid rushed to and fro from the
palace to 10 Downing street. adViS-
ing the king on every phase Of his
cabinet forming. He called there
more than once during the recent
passage Of notes between the United
States and Britain over payment of
war-debt instalment on Dec IS. The
kings approval was desirable, if not
strictly necessary, for all four Brit
iSh notes.
Approves Foreign Policies
The king was interested in the Of
tawa conference, and had special re-
ports of its proceedings, besides
holding lengthy conferences with
Baldwin and his party upon their
return. He also was consulted when
Britain took the historic step from
free-trade to protection, although
since parliament had passed the
tariff bill, he was bound by the
constitution to approve it.
At the same time King George
has interested himself in, and has
more than a layman's knowledge of.
midas fight for independence. the
Anglo-Free State dispute, and, more
recently, the Anglo-Persian squabble.
1t is certain that he approves
Britain's policy at Geneva, both at
the disarmament conference, and in
the Sino-Japanese question.
The king has no politics, although
being in the ranks of the capitalists
he might be thought to have Con-
sentative leaningS.
Whatever is his private opinion.
and it is known that Macdonald is
a favorite of his, he never has shown
it when, either by power of his posi-
ton, or through sheer personal in
terest, he has taken an active hand
in the government of his people.