The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-21

much Of America, FIJI, Japan, Cey-
lon, Egypt, Palestine and Greece.
Everywhere he was met with a
wholehearted welcome. Fired with
an ambition to see as much as pos
siblc Of the world, he continued
his travels almost up to the time
of his coronation.
A Royal Love Match
King Edward would not permit
even Queen Victoria's Geath to in
terfere with the cruise planned for
the opening Of the first Common
wealth parliament of Australia, and
the subsequent visits to New Zea-
land, South Africa and Canada.
Prince George was created Prince
Of Wales on the completion of that
trip.
The broad facts of King Georges
marriage are history. Behind them
is more romantic coincidence than
many a film director would dare
to use.
Princess Mary, daughter of the
Duke and Duchess of Teck, had
been engaged for reasons of state
to the Duke of Clarence, but the
duke died, and when the official
year Of mourning had ended she
married Prince George, for the best
Of all possible reasons, because they
loved each other.
They Were Poor, But Happy
They were quite poor, but they
were happy, although running a
royal household often meant some
drastic economies. Then came the
children - Prince Edward, now
Prince of Wales, and Prince Albert,
now Duke of York, to be followed
at intervals of two, three and two
years by Princess Mary, the Duke
of Gloucester and Prince George.
All of them, except George, were
born while the king was still Duke
of York.
Then King Edward died, and
George assembled the throne. He
mounted it at time of England's |
greatest prosperity and peace. True, |
Ireland was troublesome, and wom-
en- suffragettes were tying them
selves to the ratings of parliament
but these were small cares compared
with the crisis that was to come.
Almost without warning the world
was plunged into war. Belgium was
invaded; Russia modified; and on
that Hateful day, Aug. 4, 1914, Great
Britain declared war on Germany
and her allies, in support of her
pledge to aid her weaker neighbors.
People Turned to King
1t is in times like these that
country turns to its ruler, like chill
dren turn to their parents in a |
moment of terror. Thousands milled
around Buckingham Palace during
those early days and nights. And
King George did not fail them then
or later. He spoke of confidence
and faith and the cause of right
over might. He gave them example,
working Is hours a Gay visiting hos
pitfalls by the score, giving the lead
in all works of charity.
He sent his son, the Prince of
Wales, heir to the throne straight
from school to the theater of war.
He, himself, often visited the front, !
and he was a source of anxiety to
his generals for his Lack of caution.
Once a mettleSome horse he was
riding reared and fell on him, and
he had the narrowest escape from
death.
But the war ended, and King
George returned to the task of re-
storing a weary and battle-scarred
nation to normalcy. He faced it
bravely, too bravely, perhaps, for it
was on a raw November day in 1928,
that, while standing bareheaded at
the Cenotaph, he contracted the
cold that nearly cost him his life.
Illness Watched by World
The whole world watched the
fluctuations of that illness that pro-
crossed through bronchitis and
pneumonia, and crisis at Christ
mas time that kept his family near
his bedside all night long, to the |
long convalescence and temporary
setbacks of the following year.
Always himself retiring and self
effacing, hateful of pomp and cir
cumstance and demonstrations of |
any kind, the kings appearances in
public had seldom evoked an out
burst of popular affection. 1t took
his illness to show the real depth
of feeling his people had for him.
More history was made during the
reign of King George than at any
time since William the Conqueror
of Normandy started in 1866 the
long line of England's rulers.
Great Changes Witnessed
1t has seen the birth of wireless
transmission, the growth of cleo
tricity an automotive power to an
extraordinary degree of efficiency,
the development of airplanes from
crazy triple-wing crates to the pres
ent-day $50 M. P. H. monoplane;
an dthe general Speedlng-up OF civil /
ization to point where Jules
Verne's fictional fantasies have be-
come everyday occurrences.
The biggest event was undoubted-
ly the World War; unparalleled in
history, and almost a separate life
time of four years in itself. 1t had
the most profound effect. 1t
changed England fran the Vic
torian and Edwardian era of SNUG
responsibility to the freer and
swifter life of modern times.
1t was the emancipation of woman
from the tightly corseted long
skirted, sheltered, and, perhaps.
more chivalrous period, to the mod
ern miss with abbreviated clothes.
lip-stick, and her own latch-key. It
was also the beginning of the DEM
ocracy of Europe, with the slow dis
of dynasties, the fall of
thrones, and the gradual breaking
up of that chain of royal inter-mar-
u rra- 40 IL i