COURAGEOUS KING

Hokitika Guardian, 11 November 1933, Page 3

COURAGEOUS KING

BULGARIA’S PRESENT RULER INSTANCES OF COOL PLUCK Britain’s latest royal visitor, King Boris of Bulgaria, who, with his queen, the fernier Princess: .Giovanna of Italy was recently in England on a visit, has remained a figure little known outside his own country since. he ascended the throne, from which his father, King Ferdinand, fled at : the close of the Great War. > * ,

It was in 1918,“when lie Anas only 23, that Boris was called, upon to face responsibilities from which ally young.mail 1 would be. forgiven for shrinking, Possibly .the best tribute ever paid to his qualities of lcingsbjp says the- News of the World,’ was the observation of- a diplomat, , who once declared that no one had ever been able to accuse him of ; a .single false move in his country since he was crowned. '

Boris soon showed 1 ’ he was a young man of. very likeable, .unassuming, and democratic manners, with, commonsense notions and many sterling qualities. Moreover, lie has demonstrated in many ways'that he is the possessor of physical pluck far aboye the average. During the war years Boris was ever to .be found where Bulgarian troopb were fighting their fiercest battles. “That young man,” once declared the Bulgarian commander-in-chief, “gives me, more anxiety than anything the enemy’s headquarters can plan. There is 110 holding him back at all.” A new demonstration of fhis cool courage came when, seme six years after Boris had ascended the throne, an effort was made to assassinate him. HeAvas travelling in an open car with one- equerry and a young botanist to whom he was greatly attached..

Dusk had fallen and : 'the car, striking an obstacle in the toad, was overturned into a wayside ditch. Simultaneously a deadly rifle fire was opened by a band of concealed assassins. The chauffeur, the equerry, and the botanist were killed'on the spot.

Boris was flung headlong , from the car.

Picking himself up, lie dashed up the. road where another car was approaching, sprang aboard, seized the wheel from the driver, and drove back though the hail of bullets, coolly retailing the wheel until-Sofia was reached.

One more striking- instance was furnished two. years ago j when, while taking a holiday, on the Black Sea, the king rescured.a party of six women and children front drowning. The party went out in a rowing-boat, were trapped in a terrific storm, and were given up for lost, none of the boatmen along the shore ventured to put out and face, the raging wind and waves. Suddenly a young man raced along tlie pier, sprang into a motor-launch, and, starting the engine, dashed at full speed to the sinking boat,. It took careful manoeuvring to get the frightened women and children aboard, but he managed it—and it was some time after they had been landed and cared for that it' was learned that, the rescuer was King Boris. For some years one of Boris’ principal recreations, was that of driving the Orient express on its passage through Bulgaria. He became an expert enginedrive, and used to. observe that if ever lie lost his “position” he should be able to earn his living as a mechanic. Some of his closest friendships have been among the chief enginedrivers in Bulgaria. The king’s other chief hobby: is to search for rare flowers. He and a professor of botany, have made many striking discoveries in the sphere in the forests lyng outside Sofia.