The Press. Saturday, December 23, 1916. The King's Part.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15781, 23 December 1916, Page 8

The Press. Saturday, December 23, 1916. The King's Part.

The 'Spectator" has probably gratiiied vast numbers of people by its article dwelling on tho part which the King has played and is playing in the present war. Probably, too, the King himself will bo the only person not pleased with this fresh publicity given to his benefactions and his efforts for the good of his people in these terrible times. There is no more unobtrusive monarch in Europe in his way j of doing good deeds tliajl King George. When we contrast his manner with the histrionic performances on the other side of the North Sea, we have indeed reason to be thankful that our Sovereign is a British gentleman. But his life and his way of dong things are not altogether at his own disposal, and at times it is quite right and proper that violence should be done to his modesty. [ *Fhe "Spectator" rightly argues that a democracy has a right to know and estimate accurately' the services which it receives; and that, not only for the sake of the example set, but because nothing tends so much to build up national union as the consciousness of common struggles, efforts, and sacrifices. We have no doubt that this distant branch of the British race are hot behindhand in their appreciation of the whole-hearted manner in which the Sovereign has identified himself with the thoughts, sufferings, and efforts of his people. In touehing, first, on material or money contributions, we have to remember that, as moharchs go, the King of England is not a rich man; that is, the proportion of his income which he can dispose of according to his own personal tastes and wishes, is rather limited. The bulk of his income is allocated to various purposes in ' advance. Therefore, when King George, a few months ago, handed over to his Ministers £100,000 to be spent as they thought fit : n the national interest, he was doing a very large and generous thing. The Ministers quietly passed the money into tho Treasury, and nothing more has been heard of it. Probably Ministers thought they were best consulting tho King's feeling of privacy in thus keeping silence. But a good deal more might liavo been made of tho example. Then, the King's contributions to funds and collections of every description aro practically unending. To mention only one or two outstanding cases, ho gave to the Prince of Wales's Fund £5000, and two gifts of £6000 pounds each on successive "Red Cross days." There is hardly a single public appeal that has been launched since tho beginning of the war, to which he has not made a munificent contribution. And, to pass from material to mor&i and social conduct, there is a danger of its being forgotten that in the early months of the war the King took up a very decided attitude on tho drink question by abolishing alcohol and wines of every description, not only from his own table, but throughout the Royal household. True, his anticipation of the effects of the oxample has not been altogether

realised. The only public instance that we remember was that of Lord Kitchener. But there is little doubt that many hundreds of private families have followed the Royal example. Another conspicuous feature of the King's behaviour during tho war has been his strict constitutionalism. Thero is ground for believing that he, with his wide knowledge of Europe and the British Empire, differed from his 3linisters in some, at least, of the instances in which they have since been proved mistaken. But there has never been the faintest suggestion of washing his hands of responsibility, or assuming the attitude of an innocent but powerless person. "Whatever line of policy has been adopted, he has thrown himself into it with single-minded zeal and enthusiasm. When, at a certain period of la6t year, crrtain English newspapers were busily engaged in fomenting trouble between Minister and .Minister, no backstairs influence ever emanp.ted from the Crown. Like a wise King, lie formed ij4:; own judgment, and held bis peir.'e

In his own. quiet and unobtrusive way, the King has maintained a ceaseless and unwearied activity. He has paid two visits to tho front in .France, and examined at close quarters the conditions under which his troops were fighting and enduring. The accident which brought the second visit to an abrupt termination was more serious than was supposed at the time. But the King behaved wit}] a Britisher's pluck, and was at work again before his doctors would give him formal permission. Then there is hardly a hospital for wounded in England that he lias not visited,; and his cheery, numly sympathy has brightened up and encouraged many a sufferer. A batch of German wounded in one large hospital spoke for days afterwards of tho way he talked to ■ them in their own langauge, enquired about their wounds, and told them they had fought bravely. And his own troops undergoing training in England arc never long without a visit front him. >>"or docs he confine his attention to the great masses doing final manoeuvres on a grand scale at Aldershot. No small camp or insignificant collection of moh is ignored. And it need hardly be said that the men of his own profession, the navals and marines, get their share. Troops from the .Dominions, too, have been inspected by him every time that opportunity offered. It would not be too much to say that the Kino- knows his soldiers and sailors in the largo better than any general or admiral in his service. And one other feature of his influence may be mentioned here: his messages, whether of congratulation, or condolence. It is well-known that his Majesty writes these himself. They have a personal touch and a happy turn of phrase, which convey exactly the appropriate feeling, without any bombast or theatrical sentiment. Here,

again, we have a pleasing contrast to the style, of his illustrious relative. On the whole —as has recently been remarked —the group of crowned Republics, known as the British Empire, are fortunate in Laving a permanent and hereditary President; one who has been bred to the task, and steeped from his early years in all those, finer instincts, which can never be guaranteed in an elective Ruler, however exalted bis merits in other respects.