The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1937-02-13
change Of "Stars" Lessons
Interest In Coronation Show
Despite Added Attractions
GREATER POMP TO MARK GROWING OF GEORGE VI
BUT PRICES FOR LONDON ROOMS AND PARADE
SEATS DROP AFTER EDWARDS ABDICATION
BY MILTON BRONNER

NEA Service staR Correspondent
London - Can the loyal London
PRESS sell King George VI plus his
vic, plus his two girls, to the en-
psEo and to the world as success
fnlly Is former King Edward VIII
largely sold himself?
It's o financial question anxious
y debated by business men. They
nay talk about "dollar-ch
Americans but no all these occas-
Ions such as coronations, jubilees,
etc, they are rather nimble and
nifty themselves at pursuing the
pounds, shillings and pence. And
that Is what is worrying them at
present.
ist q few short months ago -
before tina. explosion known as
the Simpson crisis-when things
were going ahea for the corona
ton of King Edward, the situa-
ton seemed roseate. The hotels
and boarding houses of London
reported they were having book
inGs from all over the world for
Nay IL - Coronation Day and
the period Just before and after.
Not so much has been heard late
II Of peopL, clamoring for rooms.
GLAMO.: is GONE
WITH EDWARD
THEN there was the matter Of
seats In grandstands and hous-
u along the route Of the corona
ton parade. Tai. stories about
fantastic prices being paid-espe-
cially by rich Americans were
quite common. The papers were
full Of 1t. Americans were painting
t. lay down Is iron men, so, rs and
so:-ie even as high az $1250-the lat
tr price being for a room which
would accommodate quite number
os guests. But just the other day
the came papers printed the news
that quite good seats could be OBJ
tanned for as low as SIS and that
the average price now was not
above SIS.
Now this does not mean that
next May London Is going to be
deserted village nor that the
cl.onation is going to be boycott
ted. London itself on any and
all occasions can turn out terrific
crowds for nay public show, be
it o coronation, a royal wedding,
= royal funeral, a royal jubilee
or o Lord Mayors parade.
But there are some slight indi-
cations that the festivities will not
prove as big drawing card to
Americans and other foreigners
as would have been the case had
Edward been the center figure.
All pumped-up adulation aside,
there was certain amount of
glamor around the Peter-Pannish
figui ), OF the king who never
grew up, despite his AZ years.
Moreover, more people in all
parts of the globe had personally
seen him than any man now liv-
ing. Having seen him and heard
him, they were interested In him
ind his doings.
WILLING VICTIM OF
ROYAL p ESS-AGENTRY
King George VI has none of these
advantages. But he Is assiduously
lending hir:.self to the build-up as
much as possible.
The platform seems to be two
fold:
Ito accentuate that he Is diff
<erent in every way from his
brother, the Duke of Windsor.
2-To give the impression that
he Is very like his father, the late
King George v.
As to the first: King Edward
announced he was going to make
extensive cuts in the personnel
OF Sandringham, the Norfolk resi-
dence of the royal family. King
Gcory has announced that no
cuts will be made.
King Edward did not favor a
coronation review of the fleet. 1t
his now been announced that on
May 20 next, King George will
review great gathering of the
hornc fleet at Spithead. This
means /. further show for foreign
4 empire visitors and an in
creased amount Of business for
the railways and for the sea coast
towns.
POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE
WIN APPRO' AL
Then there is the matter Of the
loyal address and homage" of
the City Of London to the SOW
,creign on his coronation. Where
Edward said mo" George has
said Eyes" The ceremonies of
the (:ity-Londor's oldest section
and today largely its Wall street
ARE anon the most picturesque
seen. They date back to medieval
times. A great meal, either lunch
con or dinner, is served in the
Guildhall, a baror. OF beef being
carved in the stone pulpit. The
Lord Mayor proceeds up the hall
at the head of the city fathers.
There is carried before him not
only the Silver Mace Spelled
with capital letters, but also the
great Pearl Sword (more capi-
tails, which was carried before
Queen Elizabeth when she visit
ed the city after the destruction
OF the Spanish Armada.
King Edward had asked that
these ceremonies be replaced by
.s0mething simpler. He wanted
the state drives north and south
OF the Thames through STREETS
lined by troops, t. be omitted.
He did not want a lot of gorgeous
ceremonial with the Lord Mayor,
'derrnen and Councilmen all
togEeS out in their red robes and
fYfrs