EVER A PRACTICAL MAN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 84, 21 January 1936, Page 6

EVER A PRACTICAL MAN

DIGNIFIED, BUT KINDLY. TRUE LOVER OP HOME LIFE. The King was eminently a practical man, a thinker, and quick to arrive at decisions. He was always concerned for the welfare oi tho subjects in his own dominions, and spared no pains to acquaint himself with the wants and wishes of such. He was a man of few words, but farseerng, and had a keen insight into character. .He is kind and considerate, but he would strenuously uphold the dignity of his position, and no one would able to take the slightest liberty by word or deed.

It was whispered, that a person of importance waited upon His. Majesty on one occasion with certain documents for perusal. He was granted an audience, and, on entering the presence, intimated that the papers were of some urgency, and he would be glad if His Majesty would give immediate attention to them, as he was in a hurry. The King would be the last person in the world to put anyone to inconvenience, but t]ie implication of “hurry” on tho part of the person of importance was neither wise, dignified, nor courtierlike. The King very proIperly resented this. Ho took the documents, quietly placed them upon the table beneath a heavy paper-weight, and struck the electric bell on his desk. Then turning to the answering footman, he quietly said : “Mr ’s carriage at once. He is in a hurry!” As a monarch, King George had a great admiration for the colonial spirit of enterprise. His famous call to the Old Country to “Wake Up” will be remembered. His Majesty also showed a keen interest in the political affairs of the nation, andi for many years was an attentive listener to Parliamentary debates. He enjoyed good oratory, and kvas an excellent public speaker himself. His naval training made him resourceful and observant, and he had [a sailor’s direct, simple manner, characterised among hisi intimates by groat joviality and love of a joke. He found his chief recreation in the game [coverts of Windsor, Sandringham and Balmoral, in wild-duck shooting on [the Norfolk marshes, and salmon fislijing in the Dee. He enjoyed the freedom of country life, and had a taste for farming and stock-rearing.

i A Busy Monarch. The vast amount of personal labour which fell to the lot of the King, is a fresh reminder of the words of Mr David Lloyd George that “the hardest worked man in this country is the Sovereign of the Realm.” Fortunately tinguished visitors were not invited to in latter years the eldest has definitely shared the burden. The war left its mark on the King. Apart from the mental strain a recital of wliat he accomplished is a sufficient proof of the physical endurance lie displayed. He reviewed 2,000,000 Itroops, inspected every division, 300 hospitals, 200 munition factories, presented 12,000 decorations, visited the front and tBR fleet on many occasions —and all this in addition to the daily routine work.

| Perhaps the most striking fact about j the King was that lie was the one man in his own world-wide Empire who saw lit all. Many of the questions, therefore, that came before him he was able Ito examine in the light of direct personal knowledge, and his knowledge of individuals was encyclopaedic. At a recent garden party he joined in personal conversation—not mere handshakes—with 3000 overseas guests. Seldom a day passed that some disKing George Plays a Part —AA luncheon, and in the afternoon there were social engagements to fill, ministers to he seen, or distinguished arrivals to be presented. The King gave innumerable private audiences, and early in the year his engagement book showed that days and often weeks were fully booked up as late as November and December. A distinct liking for home life was displayed by the King. It can ho said from personal knowledge that the King’s idea of a pleasant evening was to sit at home by the fire with a book, while his wife sat opposite him with her sewing, and he read to her. As Prince, the King belonged to only one club in London, the Marlborough, which was founded by his father, but he spent little time there. He is known to be fond of an occasional rubber of ft ridge—Queen Mary frankly detests jards—but his friends learned that he could not be tempted to play in the club. On several occasions when he had been asked to step in for a game his reply had been, “Oh, no, I would rather go home.”