THE PRINCE OF WALES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20084, 23 October 1928, Page 6

THE PRINCE OF WALES.

TRIP TO ANTIPODES.

EARLY PART OF THE TOUR.

THE CALL AT BARBADOES.

A PICTURESQUE WELCOME.

BY WALTER AND LEONARD TOWNSEND,

(All Rights Reserved.) NO. XXXIX.

Ono would not liko to say that the [Australian and Now Zealand tour of the Prince was the most successful of his journeyings in the Dominions, but it is stated on excellent authority that both in Australia and New Zealand the Prince created a greater furore than in any of the other countries he had visited. To-day they say in Australia that the Prince is almost a " dinkum Aussie," and they look on him as their own especial object of loyalty to the British Crown. After the Princo's epoch-making tour in Canada lie looked forward with almost boyish eagerness to his trip to the Antipodes—and his own strenuous activities in assisting to prepare for the tour were clear evidence of his excitement at once more to be blazing his Royal trail.

For weeks the household staff of the Prince were extremely busy; an Empire tour is not planned in five minutes. The Prince himself was also fully occupied making the necessary personal arrangements and leaving his financial affairs in capable hands, for even a Royal Princo must keep " his house in order " while he is absent from it. Departure from Portsmouth.

Therefore, it was not without a feeling cf relief to tho Prince and his ontourage—■when ono chilly March morning tho Roval party went up tho gangway of the Renown, which lay, a huge grey mass, in Portsmouth Harbour. Beforo tho echoes of tho salute from tho ancient Victory had died away tho big batile cruiser was sliding out on her memorable voyago to Australia and New Zealand with tho wellwishes of tho whole country behind her. Though tho tour did not start for tho eagerly awaiting British public until tho Renown reached Barbadoes tho Prince had already settled down to lifo onco more at sea, and it is his own opinion that some of tho happiest days of his lifo have been spent at sea on board tho Renown with the carefully chosen band of officers, ,who wcro his shipmates during this and other tours. Tho Princo insisted that thcro should bo no unduo ceremonial in connection with his presence on board. Ho took part with tho officers in tho asual deck games, inspected with tho captain tho parades of tho men, and dined either with tho captain and his own staff or invited various officers to his own suite, whero ho insisted on tho conviviality of tho ward room. In tho mornings the Princo would read in tho quiet of his own cabin, refusing to disturb the ordinary routine of a peacetime battleship. It must not be thought that ho regarded his tour as a holiday, but the days spent at sea ho always relaxed as much as possiblo in order tho better to withstand tho sterner demands made on his physiquo when on land. " His Own Share of Work." Tho Princo belioves in being fully propared beforo ho embarks on any of his Empire tours. It is not sufficient for him that his staff look after tho various intricato travel arrangements. Ho always insists on doing his own share of work toward making tho tour a success, strenuously and thoroughly. Those who read the newspaper reports, recording as they do only tho social side of tho Prince's i movements, can gain only a very incomplete survey of his travels. Thero was a tragic incident which subdued the Prince, and indeed the wholo ship s company just before the Renown reached Barbadoes. A gunner fell overboard in the course of a rough sea and despite the utmost attempts to save him, he was drowned. The Princo attended the funeral service, which was held in the forecastle, and sent a radio message of condolence to the lost sailor's relatives. Ihe first break in the tour was mado at Bridgtown, tho capital of Barbadoe3. As soon as the Renown dropped anchor off tho island she was surrounded by boats of all kinds, and as their occupants cheered, tho Prince stood at tho top of the gangway saluting and smiling with evident pleasure at the warmth of his reception. The Prince's leisure had come to a temporary end. Thero were speeches to make, ex-servicemen to chat with and shake_ hands—hundreds of them—sugar factories to visit arid look over. An Enthusiastic Reception. Throughout the wholo city, crowds lined the routo and rnado a startling relief in black and white, for on this occasion the .white inhabitants forgot colour distinction, and stood shoulder to shoulder with the natives, in their eagerness to see and acclaim the Prince. This was perhaps tho first meeting between the Prince and Bome of tho black subjects of his fathor in their own land. True, tho Princo had jriet and reviewed Indian troops in Franco, but this first meeting between the black fcubjecls and himsolf lent a unique newness to this reception in tho island of Barbadoes. Negroes and negresses stood in a black, •weird mass, nearly all their heads swathed in Union Jacks! As tho Princo passed slowly through littlo villages of wooden huts, ho frequently alighted to pas 3 a pleasant word with' tho inhabitants, and to inspect tho school children or Boy Scouts. At the State dinner held in tho evening, ho was received with a storm of applause. Ho contradicted tho rumour that part of tho West Indies wero to bo sold to America, a rumour which had in some way become current at that time. "The King's subjects are not for sale!" flio Prince snid quietly —and the uncontrollablo cheers that followed this simple statement proved conclusively that here again ho had conquered all hearts. In the Panama Canal. From the Barbadoes in tho Caribbean Sea, tho Renown, escorted by tho Calcutta, flagship of the West Indian squadron, entered tho Panama Canal whero three American service aeroplanes hovered overhead to welcome tho heir to the English Throne. On tho first lock a squad of American soldiers were drawn up as a guard, and as tho Renown carno abreaso ot these they presented arms, and a banc! struck up tho British National Anthem. A slim, upright figure, in tho uniform of a naval captain, stood on tho quarter deck at Iho salute—tho Prinro! Presently ho went ashore, inspected tho guard of honour—shook hands with tho officer in charge, arid invited him to lunch on -tins Renown. his visual interest in constructive enterprise, the Prince inspected the Control House of the famous canal, in which tho gieat locks and gates are manoeuvred.. I ho lanaroa Canal is ono of the wonders of modern engineering; dredgers are continually at work keeping the bottom clean, for thero are continual landslides from tho treacherous banks, which at times almost sit up the navigation passages. Such a Blip occurred while tho massive Renown was passing throuch With « Inordinary skill, However, the captain managed to manipulate tho difficult PM . sage. Tho Renown now began to drop lock by lock to tho level of the Pacific Sded ' ama tLOr progress was B » 3 ' .(To be continued daily.X