The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-21
EDWARDS RULE
MAY BE TINCED
BY SOCIALISM
New King Sympathetic to
Poor and Oppressed,
Record Shows.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
Scripps-Howard Foreign Editor

Scr1ppS-h0Waru ForelSn E1lL0r
WASHINGTON, Jan. 81 = Will
Britain's new sovereign, Edward
VIII, come to be known as the en-
pire's Socialist King?"
There are those in England who
predict he will. They say he will
turn Britain upside down, smash
precedent and do and say things
never said or done by any British
monarch in history.
But those who entertain such
fears mostly have vast vested in
terestS and have already found
themselves squirming under the un-
expected lash of the Princes tongue.
They are inclined, therefore, to ex-
aggerate.
They recall, for instance, a speech
he made at the Guildhan after an
inspection of the slum districts of
some of Britain's principal cities.
When he rose to address the
gathering. whose aggregate wealth
reached almost astronomical figures,
it was expected that he would give
them 10 minutes of platitudes and
sit down amid the usual white
gloved applause. Instead, ne said
this:
There are a great many slum
dwellings in this country that are
relics of bygone idea of what was
tolerable for workmen. That type
of home must be demolished. They
are not, and must not be considered
fit for the coming generation. I've
personally inspected many such
places. And I have been appalled,
New houses can be built within
reach of workingmen if big in
come is not what is looked for This
nation can not afford to perpetuate
such slums. What's the use of treat
ing the diseases of slum- jewellers
especially the children, if when
cured they are to be sent back to
such slums? It is disgrace to ou1
national life
Stuffed Shirts Amazed
Fer a moment there was amaze
ment. Then burst of applause
from most of those present. Others
moved uncomfortably and pulled at
their collars as if these had sud-
denly become too small.
The new King will hardly be a
Socialist King" But he is and will
likely remain social minded. He be-
gan early, telling his grandfather,
Edward VII, that when he grew up
he intended to renounce the throne
and be locomotive engineer in
stead.
When the World War broke out,
court, cabinet and the British gen.
eral staff all put thumbs down on
his going to France. He willed
otherwise. Said he:
eff I do and don't come back, one
of my brothers can carry on as
King. But if I don't go, as King !
shall be discredited." And goahe did
Under Fire in France
In France I not infrequently saw
the Prince of Wales. He lived like
any other soldier and insisted on be-
ing treated as such. He played cards
with British Tommies in the trench
es, slithered around on a bicycle and
was the despair of the brass hats
who felt themselves somehow re-
sponsible should a whizz-bang or a
German tar-boX wipe him out.
In Western Canada, where he has
ranch, he wore coWhand clothes
and on roundups led the singing
with his ukulele. From the strictest
court in Europe, he willingly posed
with Hollywood stars, caddies on the
golf links, wearing ten-gallon hats
in queer bathing suits and however
or wherever news photographers
caught him.
In India he shocked not only all
the castles of that country, high and
low, but the entire world by welcom-
ing and addressing the outcasts-
the despised untouchables-an act
big with portent for 350,O00,O 900 peo-
pie now that he is Emperor and
King.
Never has the new ruler of Eng
land been a stuffed shirt" He
played the game even when a strip