PRINCE GEORGE ABSENT

Evening Star, Issue 21725, 21 May 1934, Page 8

PRINCE GEORGE ABSENT

BRITISH LEGION'S CONFERENCE GENERAL MAURICE EXPLAINS POSITION Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, May 20. (Received May 21, at 11.15 a.m.) : ” At the conference of the British Legion at WestOn-Super-Mare there was consternation when the president (General Sir Frederick Maurice) read a. letter from Prince .George declining invitation to attend owing'to the unfortunate prominence given to reports of apparent attempts to create dissension in the legion’s ranks. General Mam-ice said he could well understand, when the executive was being publicly attacked, that Princes of the Royal House would hesitate to give the slightest appearance of taking sides in A matter of which they had no knowledge. The only possible step was to inform Prince George that the Region was as united as ever in its loyalty to the King, thfe Court, and the Royal Family. The audience cheered this statement vociferously. General Maurice later said they were all-heartily ashamed of the incident which had prevented Prince George’s presence. Such things must not recur. Despite grave statements about its workVthe legion had no secrets. A resolution endorsed the executive’s recent dismissal of the editor of the league journal, and expressed confidence in the executive.. Prince George’s non-attendance disappointed thousands who flooded the town to see him review 20,000 ex-ser-vicemen. This is the first occasion since the foundation of the legion on which no Prince of the Royal House has been .present at the conference or rally. , - MATTER BROUGHT TO A HEAD «■ r ALLEGATIONS &EFUTED. LONDON, May 20. (Received May 21, at 12.15 p.m.)' . ‘The Times’ says that the incident* to which General Maurice referred hung heavily over the conference’s preliminaries. A meeting of so-called rebels the previous night proved stormy and ended in an anti-climax, with overwhelming majorities declaring that the legion was democratically controlled and regret at convening the meeting. General Ma-urice lost no time in bringing the matter to a bead. He quoted extracts from certain Sunday papers alleging that the legion, for a long time had been going downhill. The membership had dwindled by hundreds of thousands despite the secrecy observed. General Maurice scouted this as absurd, because a certified statement of membership was circulated yearly. He indignantly refuted the gross personal attacks on Sir John Brown," who, it was suggested, had received, a knighthood for selling his comrades’ interests at a deputation to tho Prime Minister and tho Minister of Pensions,whereas General Maurice himself led the deputation and did not consult Sir John Brown beforehand. i Sir John Brown announced that he was launching legal proceedings to vindicate his personal honour. General Maurice'announced that tho membership was 342,000, an increase of 16,000 since.last year.