DIGGER PRINCE

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 35, 10 August 1921, Page 3

DIGGER PRINCE

SEEN BY ENGLISH EYES

SUCCESS "OFF HIS OWN BAT'

INCIDENTS OF AUSTRALIAN TOUR.

"The popularity of the Prinoe of Wales is the enthusiastic, affectionate approval of the man in the street, of youth, of every age and of evory section of the community." And to thfe dictum of G. Ivy Sanders, whb prefixes it to her jusfcissued biography of the Prince, Australia will say "Hoar, hear!" says the.Sydney Sun. The title among all the liereditary titles he wears that he likes beet is thd title "Digger." Of the New Zealand and Australian tours this biography tells fully: though so thoroughly interested in him was Australia that the author tells little that ia new. Yefc this summing up of the tour by an English biographer has great interest for tho Australian reader. What chiefly surprises and delights tho biographer is the outspoken comments of our newspapers. • "Auckland, during the Royal visit, had the appearance of an immense flower garden—it was flowers, flowers all the way —and, one should add, children. Children, to g. great extent, monopolise attention in these younger countries, and they certainly monopolised the Prinoe. Continually they would stop the procession of motor cars to hand him nosegays; always they showered flowers upon him as ho passed. Ori the children's gala day they literally mobbed him}" And not only the children. "Every woman in the island loves him," said Sir William Fraser at the farewell dinner at Christchurch. "At the conclusion of his visit the desire to touch him, to throw flowers a-nd confetti over him, became not only a fashion, but a oraae."

"INDEPENDENT AUSTRALIAN." : "Reputations are not made by mail in Australia, for the .Australian accepts no man on another's testimony," says the' biographer. 'Australia, too, is no superficial judge. Perfunctory gaiety, or the semblance of Jkpd fellowship, will not go down therelP The. 'damned independent Australia^'' wants the real thing, and be looks a man-over very critically before he calls him friend. This was the attitude as the Renown approached Australia; and it should be remembered to the credit of the Brinee, for if ever a man achieved success 'oft his own bat' he did so in Australia." . And, quoting the Sun—the only Australian paper she does quote—the author writes: "He smiled away tho difference which Australians believed lay between Royalty and the commonalty." "It is impossible adequately to deeoribe the Australian tour without appearing fulaomo," pleads the author. After describing the official welcome, she goes on : "But the real -welcome of Melbourne was one which 6prang from knowledge and appreciation of the man himself." ' "Tremendous as had been the previous ovations, ho had met nothing before to equal the hearty, frank, tumultuous, real Australian greeting. Tho returned men in particular made plain in an entirely unmistakable manner their genuine pleasure at his visit to their home. .In their determination to get as near as possible they would crawl under, over, and around his slowly-moving car with the same disregard for persona! danger as they had, shown on the battlefields. :

"Again, as in Canada, the miraclo of the Prince's popularity preceded him on his travels, and produced an increasing ovation, whioh ultimately became overwhelming." "Our beautiful harbour" cornea in for its usual tribute. The most popular speech mado by the Pnnoe in Australia was one word long. A spectator as the Prince's car crawled through a orowd on bis return from the races called out; "What luck ?" "Rotten !" came the heartfelt reply.

. THOSE LABOUR MEN. i "At' Newcastle, which is strongly- Labour in tendency, ho 'got right down to it'; and those whose opinion about Labour government is worth while thought ho should have stayed longer with the people, and said so." Of the railway - accident, the author says that the Prince had had far too much '"death-dodging" in France to bo unduly • alarmed at such an occurrence. "Like a wise soldier (/fho leaves a shelled dug-out, he gathered to-, gether his favourite pipe and other personal belongings, and hauled himself out —last of his company-rfrom tho wreckage." ' . * . "Adelaide boaets; one of the two loading Labour papers in Australia, and its attitude was expected to be politely hospitable. Instead, the township abandoned itself to riotous enthusiasm." Note tho English opinion of "Adelaide for culture." It has been reduced to the status [of a ''township!" }Ye learn, top, that "railway travelling in the Antipodes is by no means as as in Canada, and the constant changes necessitated by the different gauges of the lino in the various States were no small matter, even with the Prince's modest entourage." The author says that his many opportunities for horse-riding in Austra Ha has resulted "in that love for horses which has been almost a passion with him since his return."

"This vigorous o^en-air life which constituted the Prince's rest after hia long tour, proved too much for hia staff. Only one member could 'stay the course'; the remainder were obliged to take turns, interspersed with rests." At Brisbane, one of the strongholds of Labour, prediotkm had been gloomy concerning his reception. When ho loft there he received perhaps the greatest ovation of the tour. VVith the Labour members all over the country the Prince created a singularly good impression—and. they are hard-head-ed men, not easily moved to enthusiasm."

HIS HOME LIFE. The biographer describes the Prince's present home,- York House; "The Prince's private apartments are eitremely modest "and business-like, and consist of two lofty formal reception rooms and his own small sitting-room. A massive desk, usually covered with papers, proolaims it to be the workroom of a very busy man. An exquisite painting of his mother (Queen Mary) occupies aj prominent position in the room. Conspicuous among his photographs are those of his only sister, Princess Mary. It is characteristic of the Prince that lie sleeps in the little dressing-room off the spacious bedroom which he should properly occupy." Bat he does not see much of his own home. Like his grandfather, he is a moderate reader. He dislikes cards and billiards, and is a great smoker, with a pronounced preference for a pipe. Above all, he'is a young athlete. Long before the i average modern youth is awake he has walked or ridden in the Park (his favourite mount is a bay of pore Arab strain), or, clad in running shorts and vest, has taken a sharp run round the extensive grounds of Buckingham Palace. By 9.30 he will frequently be in the bath' club indulging in a stiff game of squash rackets. • r , "The rest of. the rooming he generally spends with his secretaries, attending to his enormous private and business corresnondence, or working on his speeches." Ho does not leave the preparation of his speeches to others. Ho devotes an immense t amotmt of time to preparing tho more important of his utterances.