Evening star., 1935-05-12

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Wednesday evening, May l.
GOOD KING GEORGES GLORI-
GUS REIGN. A Pictorial Record
Compiled BY Jocelyn Oliver. With
Foreword by Hugh Walpole.
New York: oxford University
Press.
~ELEBRATING the completion
OF rs years of the reign Of
George v of England, this
~ super -picturebook contains a
great variety of pictures, evi-
dently selected for their dramatic as
we'll as historical value. If one may
judge by what appears in the English
press and by what one hears in casual
conversation everywhere in England.
King George commands the devotion
OF almost all his subjects. OF course
an exception must be made of those
militant Communists who have no
tolerance for any ruler but a prole-
tartan dictator. Hugh Walpole says
in his foreword that King George and
Queen Mary have won the admiration
and affection of their subjects "by
pursuing quite naturally and without
any premeditation the only course that
could have gained it for them-by
quiet, unostentatious devotion to duty,
and the kindliness and honesty that
have been apparent to every one"
In turning the pages of this book of
pictures, each with an interesting
caption, we are impressed with the
fact that few kings have seen during
their reigns such world changes The
foundations of all civilization have
been shaken, in politics, economics,
science, morals, psychology. The
World War is the great central event
Of the period and the cause of much
which has followed it, The first pic
ture shows King George placing a
wreath upon the tomb of the British
Unknown Soldier. The last but one is
the wedding picture of the Duke of
Kent and Princess Marina, and the
last shows Queen Mary holding
Princess Margaret Rose on the bal
cony of Buckingham Palace in re-
sponse to the cheering of the crowd |,
below. In between are pictures both |
personal and public: the Queen as a |
child and IN her wedding gown, scenes
from the coronation, the royal family
at Ascot, the inveStiture Of the Prince /
of Wales at Carnarvon Castle, the |
great Delhi Durbar, the marriages of |
Princess Mary and the Duke of York; /
Capt. Scott at the South Pole, York
shire coal mines and miners, soldiers
leaving London for the front in 1914,
war scenes in the air. on land and on /
the sea; early broadcasts and films.
the first Everest expedition and big
game hunting in Africa. On the !
whole the pictures feature the men,
bers Of the royal family more than the
important public events of the reign,
but that is natural in a jubilee book
and ensures a more cheerful result.
THE BACHELOR PRINCE. BY Fra
Zier Hunt. An Informal Biography
of H. R H. the Prince of Wales by
His Neighbor in Canada. New
York: Harper & Bros.
EDWARD, Prince of Wales, has
- always, since he reached man
hood. been something of an enigma
10 the world, even to his own coun-
trymen. Every one knows that he
has been averse to becoming a bene-
dict and it is a commonplace re-
mark that in many ways he resem-
bles his grandfather, Edward VII.
it is also popularity supposed that
he dislikes the pomp and circumstance
OF royalty, as we'll as its many petty
duties. His Canadian ranch is one of
his escapes from all that. Frazier
Hunt, American journalist, has 5000
acre cattle ranch in Alberta, and his
nearest neighbor to the east is the
Prince of Wales. He has also collected
facts and received impressions during
q stay at st. James Palace, so his
portrait Of the prince is not limited
30 the ranchman. Not endorsed as
official. the biography evidently has
the princely favor.
Mr.. Hunt has not attempted to write
Q full-length biography. That will be
done many times later. He has Gre
eted a portrait and an entertaining
narrative which explains the prince, to
o certain extent, and shows that
change IN him has taken place in
recent years. He Is no longer the
pleasure-loving WanderluSter. England's
social representative but has become
deeply serious and profoundly aware
OF the problems which, if left un-
solved, will threaten the existence of
European civilization. 1T is a fact
that the Prince Charming of the
world is gone forever, In his place
stands the Serious Prince" In Eng
land his most active interest is in
housing and unemployment relief
work. internationally he works in
every possible way for peace. His in
terest in the plight of England's un-
fortunate has touched the depths of
his compassion. He is not only senti-
mentally but Intellectually for the
labor man. Certainly he will be the
first King of England to be passion
ately interested in the cause of the
common man."
Mr.. Hunt feels very certain that the
Prince of Wales will never marry. He
Is fond Of women, yet I am positive
that he will never marry. He will re-
main the bachelor prince, and in time
will become the first bachelor King |
that England has had in more than |
800 years" The prince has had sew
eral woman friends who have had "a
profound and beautiful effect on his |
whole life" On his travels and at |
home he has admired many charming |
young women, talked and danced with |
them, as any normal young man might |
90, but his high position has caused
t1e slightest attention on his part to
be exaggerated and gossiped about |
Though Walter Pitkin sent the prince
. de luxe edition of his book, Life
Begins at Forty" on his 40th birth
day anniversary, the prince has recog-
nized for himself that. biologically
speaking, middle age beings at 40, and
has acted accordingly. He has given
up violent exercise and now plays golf
and works in mis- garden at Belvedere
Castle. in Windsor Great Park. "Ex-
cept for certain formal military re-
views he has not been on a horse for