The Washington times., 1936-12-10
By KINGSBURY SMITH


Scotland Yard became a fortress
today, its gray courtyards hold
ing hundreds of police reserves
ready for possible disorders as
LondonerS, dazed by the blow OF
their Kings abdication, thronged
by the thousands around focal
points.
Tension was high in Whitehall,
around the houses of Parliament
and Downing Street.
In the midst of frantic confer.
enceS by Britain'S leading states,
men, the jam became so thick at
the narrow entrance to Downing
Street, the worlds most famous
blind alley, that a police line was
stretched across to dam the ex'
cited crowd.
Police Leaves Cancelled
All police leaves were cancelled.
Truckloads of policemen poured
into Scotland Yard, just off
Whitehall, all morning from out.
lying districts. London's vast re.
serves of civilian policemen were
ordered to stand in readiness for
emergency duty. The full force OF
m moun ted policemen specially
trained in dealing with crowds,
was arrayed in streets back of
Whitehall's government buildings.
Expectant, puzzled, and in some
cases angry, other crowds stood
about Buckingham Palace and st,
James Palace, King Edwards IA
vorite residence in town, while
Piccadilly in the vicinity of Hyde
Park corner was jammed outside
the dull gray residence of the next
king and queen, the Duke and
Duchess Of York.
The Duke himself, and Edwards s
other two brothers, the Dukes of
Gloucester and Kent, went to Fort
Belvedere, forming part of the
kaleidoscope of movements. Pre-
mier Baldwin received Edwards
formal abdication announcement
from Walter Monckton and Sir
Edward Peacock, who came to
Downing Street from the fort.
Sir John Simon, home secretary,
and Malcolm Macdonald, domin-
ions secretary, passed through the
silent crowds before No. 10.
DucheSSes Together
The Duchess of Kent joined the
Duchess of York in Piccadilly.
The British people aWoke today
to learn that one of the most popu.
lar Kings they ever had, has de
cided he cared more for the love
Of a woman than for the throne
of the modern worlds greatest
empire.
Somber darkness of thick fog
hung over London-lending almost
ominous significance to the fate
full day.
AS they hurried along, great
newspaper cards informed
them: King to Addicate!" And
their newspapers told them in glar-
ing headlines, to which the public
here is unaccustomed, that their
beloved young and handsome mon
arch has decided to leave the
throne, because his government
and the governments of his domin-
ions would not permit him to
marry the woman he loved.
Many recalled the words he
uttered seven years ago in an in
terview:
"I have never yet met the
woman / would care to marry.
When / do, I will marry her"
And today his subjects realized
that he is keeping his word, even
at the cost of his throne.
Realization of the courage of
this young man, who is prepared
to sacrifice the sovereignty of the
British empire for the content
ment and happiness of welded
life, stunned his subjects.
Although they had been told that a
strong possibility of abdication ex-
listed, most of them believed that
a way would be found to prevent
the loss Of their King.
Abdication Shock
The stark reality of the fact
that the King is actually going
hit them almost like a thunder
bolt this morning as they went to
work.
It shocked them almost speech.
less.
Whereas previous developments
in this romantic drama of the
Twentieth Century caused ami
mated conversations in buses,
street cars and subways, today a
hushed atmosphere hung over the
people, and they talked quietly,
like people stunned by a great
tragedy.
They found it hard to believe
that the most popular English
King of modern times is being per.
mitted to abdicate because the
government is unwilling to find a
way for him to marry the woman
he loved.
What Do Masses Think?
What are the great masses
thinking as they read the black
headlines today?
A week ago they were told the
King loved a woman whom the
government would not permit him
to marry. They next were told
there was no crisis. They were