Evening star., 1939-06-12

TIOlll rllSt HdSe.b
to the last American President who
visited Europe
Just before entraining, the King
handed the President as a souvenir
a gold "inkpot," or stand, decorated
with the royal coat of arms.
Message 10 President Today.
Today he will send to the Presi-
dent at Washington a more formal
declaration of gratitude for the Off
cial hospitality of the American
Government and for the general
friendliness Of the American people
This message, expected to follow
the general form of that sent to
France after a state visit last year,
will require no answer.
President Roosevelt and King
George had frequent opportunities
at Washington and at Hyde Park
to discuss world problems generally
but neither attached much impor-
tance to these conversations More
notable. in the minds of observers,
was the outpouring of friendly feel
ing for the visitors by all manner of
Americans along their route that
included Washington and New York.
The royal couple appeared to please
these crowds as much as they do
their native Londoners.
The only criticism heard anywhere
was that the appearances of the
King and Queen were too brief, that
their automobile moved too rapidly
for them to be seen, or that safety
precautions were too elaborate to
give the crowds a good view.
The only time George registered
displeasure was at the New York
Worlds Fair. where he asked to be
excused from greeting a long line
Of people in the Federal Building,
saying it would delay his schedule
and would keep waiting the thou
sands outside the building If Queen
Elizabeth ever was displeased at
anything, it was not discovered
Experiences Unusual
The royal couples experiences
from the time they left Canada
Wednesday night were as unusual
for them as was their presence for
democratic people with story-book
ideas of kings and queens.
In Washington. New York and
Hyde Park they saw new sights and
partook of new customs. Typical
was the hot dog picnic in the
leisure hours at Hyde Park. The
Presidents mother at first objected
to this item on the menu, but finally
relented.
1t was rumored that her English
butler. who has presided over the
dining room for many years, took
his annual vacation at the time
of the royal visit, partly because he
could not bear the thought of Serv-
Ing such plebeian food to the SOW
ereignS.
The Presidents wife had said hot
dogs would be served if the weather
was cool. Word trickled down, un-
officially, from the British Embassy
that the King was looking forward
to meeting a hot dog-and the issue
was sealed.
George Took Movies.
The King and Queen unbent so
that they eventually dispensed with
formal introductions and presenta-
tlons, and circulated happily among
the guests. George got out his small
motion picture camera to maze his
own pictorial record of this phase
OF tour that has been profession
ally photographed from nearly ev-
cry angle.
After driving with the President
George had to hang onto his gray
felt hat, and after a small dinner
given by the Presidents S mother, the
King and Queen exchanged auto
graphed photographs with the
Roosevelts and gave similar pic
lures to the more important men,
bers of the White House staff.
Then they were off to the train
and to the conclusion of an un-
precedented American Odyssey of
state.