THE ROYAL TOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23400, 17 July 1939, Page 4

THE ROYAL TOUR

CONCLUDING DAYS VISIT TO WORLD FAIR PICNIC WITH THE PRESIDENT IJY CONSTANCE ROBERTSON ROYAL TRAIN (Poughkeepsie), .Tuno 10 Tlie real business of the day began at the World's Fair, where a programme originally intended to occupy 35 minutes was jammed into a-quarter of an hour. The official reception took place in Pcrylon Hall, with a background of priceless paintings, tapestries and furniture. The room, originally a lounge room, was adorned with six largo tapestries each depicting an incident in the life of Don Quixote, and two porcelain Ch'ien Lung jars were filled with white peonies. There wero vases filled with Easter lilies, and rugs which had once been the property of Louis -XIV. of France and a 17th-century Shah of Persia. The King and Queen wero received by the president of tho lair, Mr. Grover A. Wlialen, and Mrs. Whalen, and 500 guests were bidden to tho reception. It had been intended that the wl)olo of these 500 guests should bo presented to Their Majesties, but it was soon apparent that not only was it likely to bo a trying ordeal in the heat for the King, who was standing up manfully to the job, but that if every guest was presented tho programme would be so far behind time that the Royal party would reach Poughkeepsie, 90 miles away, tomorrow morning instead of to-night. Disappointed Guests After Admiral Giuseppi Cantu, Commissioner General for Italy to tho lair, had rather startled the company by giving tho Fascist salute—-to which the King nodded as usual in acknowledgment, and the Queen smiled —a hurried whispered consultation between tho Governor and the Mayor resulted in Mr. Whalen consulting the King. Disappointment was obvious on the laces of those 250 people who had not been presented when the King picked' up his grey topper and, with the Queen, left for luncheon in the Federal Building. From the fair the Royal couple visited Columbia University and then started on tho long journey to Hyde Park, where they wero to stay at tho homo of the President's mother. The friendly welcome from the President and Mrs. Roosevelt, and Mrs. Sara Delano. Roosevelt, must have compensated for all the weary hours which had gone before. Here, the King and Queen must have thought, .was surcease from the worries of the official day. Here, for 24 hours, they could rest and enjoy a little leisure. Doughnuts and Cookies The King and Queen, and members of the Royal party, enjoyed a holiday at Hyde Park, and neither reporters nor press photographers were allowed to attend tho informal picnic luncheon held at the President's hilltop cot'tage in the grounds of his mother's home. The picnic was arranged at tho stone cottage, and, although most of the guests sat on camp chairs under the trees, several tables were arranged on the verandah for the King and Queen and other members of the Royal party. The last dinner of the King and Queen in the United States was served for 23 guests, including members- of the Roosovelt family and neighbours in the district. All the vegetables and the strawberries and cream were grown on the Hyde Park 'Estate, as were the magnificent roses which decorated the whole of the house. Affectionate Leave-taking The Queen shook hands with the officers of the State Police escort and Secret Service agents who had guarded them during the four-day visit to the United States. The Queen and Mrs. Sara Delano Roosevelt shared a whispered message, the King had a last word with the President, whose wife had said her last good-byes to the Queen. Mrs. Sara Roosevelt/ 85 years old, sprightly and energetic, patted tho youthful Royal couple maternally on their arms. The King and Queen stepped on to the platform of the rear car of their train. The afFectionate leave-taking in tho glare of tho floodlights was over. The iron gate was snapped to quickly, cameras clicked by the dozen, and the radio broadcasters continued their story to the millions of listeners. The King in his dinner jacket, the Queen in an evening gown of rose triple sheer, embroidered with silver beads in two bands around the waistline and about the sleeves, started to wave their farewells as the train pulled out of the station. The last glimpse of the Royal couple who had captivated a Republic was a blur of rose shining against the light from the railway car—the blur of the rose of England.