Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-10-29

Tell apart ana
Henry MeLemore. started dropping
it's HIS"
Well, I either had my fingers
crossed that day or I'm pretty wishy-
Washy, because here goes:
| To start with, no couple, no mat
| ter how royal, needs ID take SO pieces
of luggage on a three weeks trip.
even if they are going to an un-
known and savage land and require
lots of beads and trinkets to give
the natives. Ringing Bros circus
gets by with only a few more than
that and they have hundreds of
ponies and elephants to dress, not
just one duchess.
You almost have TO question the
sanity of a man or woman who
would start on a short trip with
So bags and trunks full of clothing.
And you definitely have to question
it when you know that since their
arrival in the United States they
have spent hours and hours shop
/ ping for more things 10 wear. Bun
dies and bundles and bundles for
| the Wlndsors!
Another thing that I would like to
know is why two people, coming to
! New York for visit, would take
one entire floor Of one of the largest
hotels in the world. Has the Duke
| got a due bill, is he on the cuff, or
is his expense account from England
/ large enough for him to walk to the
cashiers wicket and. without blink
ing say Whats the bill for the
29th floor?"
All of this is a roundabout way
of saying that the Duke and Ouch
ess have missed a great chance to
build good will and endear them
selves to US Americans. Why
couldn't they have forgotten. just
for a month. that they were the
Duke and Duchess of Windsor and
come simply as two citizens of a
country that is fighting for its very
life? Why couldn't they have had
enough good taste to have put the
emphasis on something besides
clothes, food, wines, escorts, and all
the other things that seem so I'M
imported right now?
! Don't tell me that the fault is
with the press. Sure, the news
papermen and newspaperwomen re-
ported how many times day the
Duchess changed her clothes. and
how long it took her to tell the chef
exactly what delicacies should be
served her, and how the Dukes
private blend of tea was lugged along
in a crested canister, and the
names Of the American royal set
that dined and played with them.
But they wouldn't have written
about these things if the Duke and
Duchess had not done just these
things No, the guilt" is not with
/ the press. The gilt lies with their
highnesses. The Duke and the
Duchess have made no concessions
to the times on this trip. To judge
by their actions, Hitler is still q
house painter, France a gay republic.
and Buckingham Palace ablaze with
lights as in the evenings of other
days.
It's almost unbelievable that a
man who was once the head of mil
lions Of people has so little UNDER
standing Of human nature as TO
make of his trip what he has made
of it. There is so little left that he
can do for his country now. that
you'd think he would grasp at any
straw to be Of help.
What passes through the mans
mind as he sits in regal splendor in
his Grand Central Station of a
suite and watches the Duchess worry
about matching her emerald ear
rings to her emerald clips? Doesn't
1t bother him to know that men like
Knudsen, Nelson, Biggers, Stettinius
and dozens of others are working for
81 year, and living out of a suit
case and a briefcase, in an effort to
save country that is picking up his
checks?
Granted the Dukes hands are tied
and he can't get in there and take
an active part in Britain's defense,
but at least he could see to it that
his hands weren't tied with an ex-
pensive silken cord.
If all this seems a little bitter
from fellow who said he wouldn't
say an uncomplimentary word about
the Windsors, you'll have to forgive
me on the ground that the promise
was made on the assumption that
the Duke and Duchess knew there
was war going on.
Distributed by McNausht Syndicate. Inc)
Defense O.:-