ONUS ON KING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 10, 10 December 1936, Page 9

ONUS ON KING

CABINET AS ADVISERS. NO PLAN SUBMITTED. EMPIRE'S WAITING BIUEF. LONDON, Dec. 9. The Times, in a leading article, Bays. "The decision is for the King alone. No Cabinet proposal is before him. He has proposed a certain coarse of action and has been advised in constitutional form that it is impracticable. There is no reason to doubt that he has accepted the advice. The plan of morg»natic marriage is therefore abandoned, and what the King has been; considering ifi whether he shall take; any other action. To take none istoac-, quiesce in the failure of what is known to be his heart's desire, but no positive' action has been suggested, except one from which the whole Empire shrinks. "All his Ministers can do is to answer such questions as the King may have to put in order that he may have the fullest possible understanding of the nature and consequences of any action he may choose to take. It is no doubt deeply distressing to Cabinet that they can do no more than this to help him, but in tact they can only •wait while he debates in his own conscience an issue of which they became aware less than a fortnight ago but which he himself must have foreseen for a very much longer period. Though' it is toe early to formulate any prophecies, there is a certain amount of satisfaction obtainable Irom the fact that nothing irrevocable fias occurred as a result of Mrs Simpson s statement of revocation. The wiu,.i Empire awaits the King's response, without which no further step can taken. ~ , .... , The Manchester Guardian s political correspondent says that the House oi Lords rnct at 10.45 last night, a most unusual proceeding. The reason was topass the Expiring Laws (Continuance) Bill. It is contended that the Bill had to he passed last night, but another explanation of the proceeding is that the measure is being got out of the ■way in readiness for any needed emergency legislation if the King were to abdicate.