Evening star., 1937-06-12
By Mary.Carter Roberts.

fred A. Knopf.
~ HIS new book on the recent
crisis in British politics, the
crisis which brought about the
L abdication of Edward VIII,
seems to mark a new attitude toward
that world famous affair. At the be-
einnine of the publicity. one remem-
bers. there were some hastily written
books put out, notably 4 biography
Of Mrx. Simpson, in which an attitude
Of complete sentimentality was DEM
onstrated. These were followed by
works which undertook, although dis
creety, to exploit the sensational as
pects OF the abdication. And now We
come to the analyzing, rationalizing
type OF work, in which romance and
sensationalism alike are ignored, and
q sober study Of what actually took
place Is attempted. Such Is the
volume now under discussion.
The author is Mr.. Kingsley Martin,
editor of the New Statesman and
Nation. who sums up his private feel
ing about the abdication by writing:
Personally I am sorry that the gov
ernment, the church and 80 large a
part of the community retain so
limited q conception of morality that
they object to the King making an
open and honorable, even If uncon-
ventional marriage. But it Is no use
pretending that the Kings marriage
can be purely private affair" In
hn hictnYico1
however, Mr.. Martin makes no ap-
plication OF his own opinion. He is
occupied In analyzing, from the
standpoint Of complete impartiality,
Just what political traditions and
communal emotions were in action
during the abdication crisis. and in
evaluating the different parts which
they played In the outcome.
His book Is interesting in the de-
tailed examination which 1t presents
Of these factors, certainly; but per-
haps 1t Is even more interesting in
the confirmation which it provides Of
the impression that intelligent and
detached inlookers formed Of the
events, even Is they were taking place.
Dtscarding the ideas that Edward
~abdicated because he did not want
10 be King, or that he was pushed
or the throne by Mr.. Baldwin or
the Archbishop because he was
modern 'pro-FAscist,' 'socialistic,' or
regarded by bankers Is dangerous
Ill Of which have been brought for
ward since the abdication As being its
real cauSe-Mr. Martin offers proof
Gin 70 far as that Is poasible) of
what must be the average persons
opinion of that matter-that Edward
senounced his throne as the result Of
. combination OF circumstances. In
which the overwhelming factors were
the disapproval Of the provincial
population and the constitutional
prohibition which kept him, as King,
from carrying his case direct to the
people.
OF this latter factor, Mr.. Martin
semArks: TT may well be that II the
King had earlier simply informed the
public that he could not carry out his
drties happily or successfully without
the woman he loved and asked for
public approval as the alternative to
the, abdication, the opposition to his
marriage with Mrs. Simpson could
have been overcome both in England
and In the dominions. But no such
direct question Vas ever put to the
public, nor. indeed, Is 1t easy to see
how It could have been without rak-
inG the whole constitutional issue"
ERON this statement, the reader
viii understand that. in the
authors opinion, the deciding feature
ef the whole matter was the con-
stitutional taboo, the rule which pre-
vents the King Of England from act
ing independently Of his ministers,
On the ground that, should he do 70,
hs would cease to be the impartial
head Of the state, and become
party man. In consequence of the
part played by this rule in the abdi-
cation. detailed history Of the rules
development Is included in the book.
AS concerns the disapproyal Of the
sovereign's marriage to Mrs. Simpson,
Mr.. Martin Is explicit in declaring
that 1t was not primarily disapproval
Of Mrs. Simpson, but of the revela-
tion made to them, by the Kings
attachment to her, that he was
human being. instead of = myth or
IN inhuman symbol. The fact that
there has been growing in England
for more than half century q
mystical worship Of the royal family.
and that this worship reached its
apex in the reign of George v, when.
actually, miracles OF healing were
attributed to the Kings touch and
the brightness Of the planets during
Jubilee week was attributed in the
press to a wistful desire on the part
OF comsos to participate in the fes-
tvities, forms the basis of an ironical,
Martin attempts to show how it was
that so simple q desire on the part
o( their sovereign rs to marry the
woman whom he loved could be
honestly shocking to the great body
OF the English people.
1t was not, he says. that they took
% technical a viewpoint as to feel
that, without the approval Of the
church, the marriage could not be
regarded as lawful. On the contrary,
he points out. every one (even Mr..
Baldwin, realized that, II the King
had been less scrupulously honorable,
he could have postponed any decision
until after the coronation. The OBJ
lection to the marriage was. instead.
- this author Sees it, rooted in a
profound belief that a King must
not be q man, and that any behavior
on his part which indicated the
presence in him Of common human
traits must be regarded Is portending
danger to the realm.
TIE growth Of this amazing belief
i2 traced IN the book from the