ROYAL GUEST ABSENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21806, 22 May 1934, Page 9

ROYAL GUEST ABSENT

INVITATION DECLINED BRITISH LEGION GATHERING SEQUEL TO INTERNAL DISPUTE By Telepraph—Fres.s Association—Copyric'Ht LONDON, Mar -20 Consternation was caused at the conference of the British Legion at Weston-super-Mare when the president, Sir Frederick Maurice, read a letter from Prince George declining the invitation to attend owing to reports, which unfortunately received prominence, of apparent, attempts to create dissension in the Legion's ranks. Sir Frederick said that he could well understand, when the executive was being publicly attacked, that Princes of the Royal House should 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 Legion was as united as ever in its loyalty to the King, the Court and the Royal Family. The audience cheered vociferously, and Sir Frederick later said that all were heartily ashamed of an incident which had prevented Prince George's presence. Such things must not recur. In spite of grave statements about its work the Legion had no secrets. . A resolution was passed endorsing the executive's recent dismissal of the editor of the League journal and of confidence in the executive.

Prince George's non-attendance disappointed thousands who flocked to the town to see him review 20,000 ex-servieo-men. This is the first occasion since, the foundation of the Legion that no Prince of the Royal House has been present at a conference or rally. The Times says that the incidents to which Sir Frederick Maurice referred hung heavily over the conference's preliminaries. A meeting of so-called rebels on the previous night proved a stormy one, and ended in an anti-climax, with an overwhelming majority declaring that the Legion was democratically controlled and regretting the convening of the meeting. Sir Frederick Maurice lost no time in bringing the matter to a head. He quoted extracts from certain Sunday papers alleging that the Legion for a loug time had been going downhill and that the membership had dwindled by hundreds of thousands, in spite of the secrecy being observed. Sir Frederick scouted this as absurd, because a certified statement of membership was circulated every year. Sir Frederick announced that the membership was 312,000, an increase of 16,000 since last year.