GEORGE V, THE FIRST IMPERIALIST KING OF ENGLAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 22 June 1911, Page 2

GEORGE V, THE FIRST IMPERIALIST KING OF ENGLAND.

A GanstitiutiomaL ruler is not born with any heaven-sent genius for reigning, but is made by training and environment. Hiis career is not a nroblem of heredity so much a-s an orderly process of evolution. In .place of the dread tradition of ruling by divine right is the living reality of the discipline of responsbUity. Queen Victoria, at the opening of lief reign, was a girl of crdiinarv capacity with-a persistent will a.nd an instinctive; love of truth. Such endowments and qualities as she possessed were developed' by circ-umstance® and' directed by highminded purpose and devotion to her country. Not by virtue of heredity, but in spite of .it, did she succeed in making a great and noble thing of her life.

Edward' VII. was not a m,a,ny-sided paragom of Ttoyalty, but an intensely human -sovereign, who hadi served a loii.tr apprenticeship as Prince of Wales, anil liad touched the world on -every '' : 'J.r\ Wheii' be ascended the throne, he had' had a unique- training -int. affairs, which enabled' him to keep faith with men and nations, amd to .promote neighbourly feeling within and' outside the British Empire. Neither in. character nor in .personality does his successor reveal any inninnslakeable bent towards greatness, and yet he may readily prove himelf a sagaciioup and enlightened sovereign, so sound and complete is his equipment for the business, of reigning. The- time has pas?ed- when a British monarch can bo branded as a profligate or as an idler. He has an enormous ani'nunt of work to do every J.ay ,and bis increased social makes consultation necessary over small details.

The business of crown and court steadies him, and he takes a keen interest in it. Neither democratic politicians nor diplomatic patricians command the richest prizes oi public life.' The sovereign has the most careful preparation for his work .and the best chance of making a great name and of being shielded from adverse criticism at every stage. A HARDWO-EKED MONARCH"?"" 1 "

In the character of the new King there lis a. strong Victorian strain of sincerity. cG.nseien-tiou<-mess, common sense, and domestic virtue. He was not an idler in the .navy. He- conducted- Imperial missions with thoughtfu.lness and painstaking cave'. He has never spared himself in the service of the Crown. He has taken h.is pleasures easily, but has labourcdi over his shooting, until he is one of the best marksmen in the kingdom. In senicusness, plodding habits, and capacity for work he resembles his uncle, the Duke of Conuaught, who inherited so many of Queen Victoria's qualities. King 'George ha,s never been_ the idol of smart society., nor an enthusiastic patron, of racing. He lias, miu.de the rounds of the counti-y-houf--.es because he .loves outdoor life; but he has been ,a listless bridge-player, dislikes balccarab and {rambling-, "has not been infatuated with bright volatile talk, and has been happiest in the retirement of his own- home, where lie is a.n affectionate husband and ■a devoted' father. He is at once an arduous worker a-ndi a genuine "home body," like his grandmother. Strong has been.' the impress of the Victorian, barita-ge 'upon a plastic nature ;and yet the father's example is likely to be" decisive, in determining his conduct as a sovereign. The King ha not grown up. like George 111.. with narrow prejudices and cramped tastes. and with exaggerated ideas of the Tloya-1 prerogative. "Nor has he .lived, like George IV., in nn atmosphere of intrigue, and been engrossed with ,petty details of court tailoring and' ceremonial. H e has been well trained in the practical business of government. -As soon as the King settled down to ■veapii.lar work after the funeral of Edward VII.. the court officials observed that there was no mark-ad change in the method' of routine. He was as punctual, as methodical, and urbane as his father had been. If his knowledge was le?s precise and* bis memory less trustworthy, he knew -his mind, reached a decision quickly, and was efficient in disposing of business. There was neither procrastination nor vacillation. Every question was approached with frank directness, and- settled; with shrewd intelligence. Every fine morning, in London. he prepares bunself for a,n arduous day's work by an carlv canter in Hyde Park with a- .pair of mounted companions. When he meets his secretaries, officials, and equerries there is ample employment for the .large /staff, for he insists on keeping abreast with business, and not allowing 'it to fall in arrears. He is a master of detail. Apart from the influences of heredity and training, the King has .already revealed, individuality and force of character . His recent visit to Aldershot, where parades and reviews were dispensed with, and the training of troops was witnessed in .detail, was a timely innovation. His special knowledge is brought into use whenever the fleet .is inspected. He converts a royal marine spectacle into an object-lesson of efficiency. He lias bis own ideas about royal functions, and does not besbitate to adopt some of the Gorman Emperor's methods of supervising the figlitnng services. )

' GEORGE V. AND HIS EMPIRE. George V. seems destined to win unique" distinction neither in diplomacy nor in peace-making, but as the first Imperialistic Sovereign. When lie was proclaimed Ring 'he was best known as a, travelled- prince, who had .conducted important functions in nearly, all sections of the Empire. -He. now represents, as no other British, Sovereign has done with equal 'intelligence and sympathy .the combined loyalty of the allied' nations a.n.d colonics Jinked together under the Orown. He has gone about the Empire and learned how diverse are its racial and industrial interests ;»nd he has been profoundly impressed with the urgent necessity for binding its members together in. iiidissolute community of feeling. , Having himself .commanded warships, he is naturally a "blue-sea," champion of a powerful navy. Having visited all the important possessions of the Crown, and caught the buoyant .spirit of the Empire, he can hardly fail to become a great Imperialistic King. The Kinig wrote all the important speeches that- he- delivered flu-ring his tour. Apart from the electric phrase, "Wake up. England!" he has not been credited wiith any memorable utterance m the long list of functions that he has conducted at Home- and abroad. Ho has laboured, however, as strenuously over his speeches' and messages as Queen Victoria used to toil over the revision of diplomatic dispatches and "other State papers. Beginning with a, voice less resonant and penetrating tlAain Iris father's, and with a haltini<j and timorous manner, he has* steadily improved in clearness of enunciation and style of

delivery. He might easily have- avoided the drudgery, but it has'helped him to make a mis-si oner of Empire. The shrew saying attributed, to him that the Ameii'ica.n colonies not have been lost if George 111. had' held court in New York .is evidence of the tho ughtf illness with which he 'has- studied the problem of the evolution, of an Empire. It .indicates the stress likelv to be laid. during hi., reign, on colonial conferences,., Imperial politics, and na.val progress.

A.s the monarch's authority has been unerea='iii.g with the recognition, of the headship of the Empire, .so must his social pre-tige be enlanged as the selfgoverning States are dirawn together in loyal confidence. When the widowed Queen led a retired life for forty years, transacting business of State so far as possible without obervation. she was out of touch with the social life of the nation. During the .latter part of the period there was a garish set revolving about the Prince of' Wales, which was regarded, with suspicion and coldness by the old-fash in ed aristocracy of the Victori a.n era.

THE KING'S SOCIAL LEADERSHIP. When Edward VII. succeeded to the Throne he carried .his friends- with hrm, but, the jealousies between staid old Victorian? and smart, pleasure-lov-ing quickly disappeared. With his radiant smile and unrivalled fascination, he himself assumed social leadership a the head- of the nation. George V., without having a set of his own when he was hear to the Throne, has succeeded to this unique supremacy! The importance of the Royal leadership is not likely to decline dnring bis reign, when he is a sincere Imperialist at the, head of of Commonwealths and dependencies. The King's own tastes are of less consequence than his convicjtions. He mayprefer a qufie.t, dometic life, and de liverance from the artificiality of a court; but let him be persuaded' that the bonds of Empire are -pride in the Throne and: attachment to the- Royal Family, and be will not neglect any means; of stimulating loyalty" and affection.

The trend toward pomp and circumstance of power is already apparent. It is evident that the Sovereign- has- already recognised the importance of making Lond!on the most brilliant capital in Europe, so that it may be worthy of the greatness of the British Empire, impart colour and glitter to the ordinary functions .and to magnify the impressiveness of the Coronation as the consecration of the Sovereign to the service of the Empire. Outside mentors Edward VII. did not *>eed. po unrivalled was his own know : - ledge of affairs and his resources of influence ; but there were confidential advisers whom he ir-equen'tlyi consulted. 1 , ind whom he sometimes employed' in complex and delicate transactions. Among them, was Lord Efher—not a dogmatic pedant like Stookmar, who caused mischief during the earlier years of Queen Victoria's regn, but a sagacious man of the world-. George V. is lik-ely to make nse of this - versatile mind' and conciliatory temper in a Constitutional crisis. There are no Royal. favourites to be- dragged into court or into politics. as there were in the earlier Georgian reigns.

Probably as fcimo goes on, certain sociai figures which have* been prominent during recent years will], disappear from •couirt circles and smart society. There will be no premature dismissals; but when the peniod of mourning is over, and the King and' Queen accept invitations to cou.nt.i-yi houses, ainw luaimes which formerly appeared in the lists of guests) _ will bo dropped'. Their own congenial friends will be invited when the Ro3'a.l preferences are known. King George i.s mere conservative and 10.-s domestic tha.n. his father was. His idea about social life are more exclusive and less flexible. There will be fewer ready-made millionaires in his circle of acquaintances. There will be a. reversion) to the okl order of nobility. Smart society .and wealthy foreigners' will be

There will be fewer journey.*? abroad than, there were during the last reign, and longer sojourns in .Scotland, especially during- the shooting- season. As a marksman the King has few rivals in the privileged class of sportsmen. Shooting 1? hia. favourite recreation, and (record "bags" have gone to his .credit year after year in the society papers.. He has been a.ni export in dee-r-stalking and in shooting fromt butts and over dogs. He has loved the breath of the moors, the excitement of well-ordered drives with bem.-te-.iiß. Audi the rattle, of the guns. His- presence at racecourses may be more or less perfunctory, but his. residences at Balmoral and: Windsor, and his visits to country houses with shootings, will be joyous periods of relaxation. Almost ai> enjoyable will be his yachting cruises in the Solent and elsewhere, for he is as good a sailor as he is a -sportsman', and he has retained a genuine and- hearty interest -in sea-life. THE KING'S HOME LIFE. There is in the capital of the British Empire- an illustrious court with modie-

val traditions, audi imperial glamour, ami at the centre, of it- there is a simple family life of genuine Victorian quaJit.y. Queen Mary is as English as the King himself. She- as a. devoted' wife and mother, with womanly character of strong tihre. and l many accomplishments, oliaiiK.s, audi graces. It she has a. laudable ambition) for ip laying a great uart in the reign, she has als a true instinct for pure and- wholesome-'living. The lvoyal home, where children are trained for the duties and privileges of exalted station, appeals to the hearts of loyal subjects throughout the world, and helps to establish an enduring relation of personal affection and allegiance. More potent than the flatteries of courtiers and politicians, or the incense of smart society, is this Itoval nest among the historic English oaks where the noblest tradition of the Victorian reign is cherished.

In the prime of middle life, the King is not a romantic figure, like the girlish) Victoria of 1837. to fascinate men's imaginations. Neither has he the charm of Edward VII. ini hypnotising nations by his own natural bonhomie. He lacks the German. Emiperor's eclectic faculty for absorbing information, and does not pose as a many-skied' genius with a sacred mission in, world poldtics.

Pi'osaic, industrious, anid high-minded, he has reserves of restrained force, "moi'al principle, and enlightened patriotism. Modern in training, and open-minded from wide circuits of travel he has opportunities for supremely useful work. His conservatism anight be a source of danger, if he were impulsive and selfwilled ; but he has sobriety of judgment, and there is a safeguard in his flexibility—the prim*, virtue of constitutional rulers, by which they adapt themselves to political situations and to the exigencies' of State. The mother of dull, obstinate George 111. used to din into his ears the shrill exhortation :

"George, be a Icing !" Queen Alexandra did not repeat that ■parrot cry during the opening months of the new reign. Her son may not be destined to become a commanding personality in European diplomacy; but he can never be less than a King—a. truly progressive monarch, sobered, by the responsibilities of power, and inspired by the obligation to render personal service to the British Empire. —"N.'Z. Graphic."