Evening star., 1936-12-04
The British Crisis.

In perhaps no other country than Eng
land could such crisis in public affairs
occur as that which is now evident
there The question whether the mon
arch shall wed the woman of his choice
arises from peculiarly British inhibi-
ton as regards royal matrimonial alli-
ances. It relates to the status of the
woman as regards her previous mar
riages and her divorces. and is in no
wise related to her personal character
or her nationality. English kings have
married foreigners on occasions in the
past, and have also married commoners,
and no questions have been raised. In
this present instance the objection arises
from the single fact that the object of
the Kings devotion has been previously
married and divorced.
American interest in this matter is
naturally keen. because of the nation
ality of the woman whom the King
appears to be determined to marry even
at the cost of his throne. And it is
fact perhaps without parallel in modern
history that the circumstances of this
situation were not known to the mass of
the people of Great Britain until few
hours ago, whereas they have been quite
familiar to the people on this side OF the
Atlantic for many weeks. The British
press, by dint of a self-imposed censor
ship, refrained from mentioning the
matter, and it was not until the situation
was disclosed by an utterance of prel-
ate of the church in a public address
and he has since declared that his
cryptic utterances were not related to
this question of the Kings marriage
that the circumstances were made known
to the people.
1t would seem that the immediate re-
action of the British public was favorable
to the Kings marriage to whomsoever
he might choose. But meanwhile the
ministry, which is the administrative
government, had taken the ground that
such a marriage would be incompatible
with the coronation oath and that the
King must relinquish either the lady
or the crown. Such is the situation at
this time. Whether the King will per-
sist in his determination to wed the lady
of his choice, regardless of canonical pro-
hibition or ministerial disapproval. is not
clear. There is evidence that he will do
so, even at the cost of his title, which
apparently he is willing to waive in favor
of his next elder brother. the Duke of
York, who in turn would be compelled
in such a situation to accept the role
however he might personally sympathize
with his predecessor.
British history has numerous prece-
dents of what may be viewed as irregu-
ent case, in all its strange ramiications,
is quite unparalleled. The most striking
feature of it has been the complete
ignorance of the British public, outside
of small circle, that anything sugges-
tive of crisis was developing. In these
days of immediate news transmission
such a situation is indeed anomalous
Yet it is characteristic of British
restraint.
Whatever happens, whether the King
stands firmly on his determination to
marry the lady and to sacrifice the
crown in consequence, or yields to the
demands of his ministers that he sacrifice
his love for his throne, it is quite well
assured that the British system of ad-
ministration by one named a king, by
and with the advice of elected ministers,
will remain and that Britain will carry
on" as it has in the past, unchanged and
unchanging in the forms of state.