Evening star., 1936-12-11
The King Steps Down.

The King Steps Down.
After week of anxiety without paral-
lei in the empires venerable career, King
Edward VIII has renounced his ancient
throne and made way for his brother,
the Duke Of York, who will reign as
George vi. Thus ends abruptly the con-
stitutional crisis which rocked the Brit
ish Commonwealth of Nations because
the King Emperor was determined to
follow the dictates of his heart and
marry the woman he loves rather than
rule without her over the destinies of
the mightiest realm the world has ever
known. To the last it was hoped that
means would prove discoverable to per-
NIT the beloved young monarch to solve
the problem of wedding the object of his
affections without making her his Queen.
Neither the Kings desire to enter into
Q morganatic marriage nor Mrs. Simp-
sons willingness to restore him full
liberty of action sufficed to produce
compromise which might have preserved
Edwards royal position. Thereupon,
following the deepest heart-searching by
all concerned, the King chose what he
considered to be his only alternative, and
abdicated.
History throughout generations yet
unborn will concern itself with the pros
~ 1f -.
events, but its final judgment as to the
knightly, courageous and fortnight
manner of King Edwards fateful deci-
sion can hardly fail to enshrine his name
In honorable memory. Nor will his part
ing plea to his late subjects for under
standing of the reasons which led to 1t"
fall on deaf ears. He concluded that
his course Is best for the stability of
the throne and empire and for the hap
piness OF my people" Nowhere in the
proclamation of abdication is there spe-
cif1c mention of the romantic conditions
underlying it, but Edward hints at them
when he says that "the burden which
constantly rests upon the shoulders of
q sovereign is so heavy that it can only
be borne in circumstances different from
those in which now find myself" That
Is his way of saying that he does not
feel equal to the responsibilities Of
rulership while his marital ambition re-
mains ungratified. Therefore he does
not hesitate ito place public interest in
the forefront" and declare that he is
conscious that can no longer discharge
this heavy task with efficiency or with
satisfaction to myself" Those are senti-
ments which will assure Edward warm
place in the worlds esteem long after
controversy over the wisdom of his ac-
ton fades into the limbo of the for
gotten.
In Great Britain, as in America, and
elsewhere in the world, there has been
q natural inclination to view Edwards
dilemma from the human side-to en-
vision him as q man, rather than as a
monarch, to overlook the paramount fact
that the British sovereign is essentially
cannot at will fiout laws, conventions
and traditions. Progressively through
the years the crown has come to be re-
garded as the link between the mother
country and the daughter peoples over
seas. It happens that today marks the
fifth anniversary of the statute of West
minister, whereby the crown is specifi-
cally designated as the symbol of the
free association of the British Common
wealth OF Nations. Under the relation
ship thus created, the Dominions are
clothed with full partnership in all and
sundry relating to the throne. It was
the preponderance of Dominion hostility
to King Edwards matrimonial plans
that strengthened the London govern
rnent's determination to oppose them, in
faithful, II unsentimental, pursuance of
constitutional prerogative and duty.
These days will not pass into British
annals without due note of the role en-
acted by Prime Minister Baldwin under
irnmeasurably grave and delicate cir
cumstances. Captious politicians there
will no doubt be, who will contend to the
bitter end that the cabinet hustled"
unhappy Edward from his throne, to
crafty longings for more subservient
monarch. But both at home and abroad,
there must be countless thousands who
consider that Mr.. Baldwin conducted
himself with statesmanlike calm, con-
sideration and sagacity, guided by dis
passionate desire to preserve unimpaired
the fundamentals of Anglo-Saxon de-
mocracy, the fruits Of Runnymede, at
moment when parliamentary rule and
popular government all over the world
are crumhling into disrepute or decay.
That the throne Of England remains in
tact and the British Empire united, still
bulwarked by the 700-year-old blessings
of Magma Carta, is this day q cause
Tor congratulation throughout the Eng
disappearing world and wherever men
still venerate liberty and authority under
law.
.,Marvels Of radio in:rease, but not to