THE NATION ANXIOUS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20582, 4 December 1928, Page 9

THE NATION ANXIOUS

ILLNESS OF HIS MAJESTY.

FACING A CRITICAL STAGE.

SERIOUS TONE OF BULLETINS.

DOCTORS' FREQUENT VISITS^

(United Press Association.)

(By Electric Telegraph-^— Copyright.)

LONDON,; December 2. The Increasing anxiety of the public was shown outside .Buckingham Palace late last njght and early this morning, when men and women in evening dress on their way home drove up to learn thelatest news, their motors extending for a considerable distance. , The Palace officials regret the absence o£ any reassuring, statement in the latest bulletin, j ■ There apparently has-been a' slight setback, the possibility of which was indicated in the doctor's comprehensive review lust week. Although his Majesty did ■ not. have much sleep cm'Friday night, he read the morning papers with his usual keen interest next He makes frequent in* quiries’ concerning the progress of the Enterprise, which . arrived / at Dar-ea-Salaam at midnight.—Australian Press Association,

THE MORNING BULLETIN.

“STRENGTH BEING TAXED”

LONDON, December'2. , -A-.,bulletin issued at 11.15 a.m. states' that the King had a rather restless night. This morning his temperature, was loweri and the infective - process showed some improvement. His general strength, though at present adequate, is, at this stage o£ the, illness, being taxed. . It was nearly two and a-half hours after the arrival of the doctors before a bulletin was issued.! Tt did .not ' succeed ;,;alto:. getheh in: aUaying last night’s, anxiety at the Palace, .but the- fall of temperature and the improvement in . the infective -pro<era: are .regarded as favourable signs. The fact that his Majesty’s strength is being taxed -is hot so’ reassuring. Never- , theless, it is considered satisfactory that the doctors are. able, to state • that his strength is adequate. The ebb and flow of . the disease is still going on. They are awaiting the turn of the tide, when itris hoped that a generi# improvement in the King’s condition may set in. f. . A record crowd awaited the bulletin et the Palace gates..

Lord Dawson and- Sir. Stan J-y Hewett spent 45 minutes with the King in the afternoon. 1

A Dar-es-Salaam message, statea vthat. the Prince of Wales embarked ht 10 this ■morning, and sailed at 10,30. The Governor, Sir Donald Oameron, said farewell to him.—Australian Press Association— United Service.

CROWDS AT PALACE GATES.

UNWILLING TO LEAVE.

: LONDON, Decembor.,2. ■y.< The;■King is laciiig•tfiq'xriticaT'!days of ids; illness. Public alarm was caused-by the more serious tone of the morning bulletin, which stated that the King’s strength was being taxed, and there was a decline in the strength of the heart, and by those of Saturday, which were not reassuring.

'Anxiety has manifested itself to an extraordinary degree in‘ the neighbonrhood of the ,Palace,, Thouaands crqwded the gates, and motor cars lined the Mali. So many rushed to see the bulletin that the police had fo regulate the movements of 1 the crowd. The contents were anxiously debated. The solemn crowds were seemingly unwilling to leave the ■ Palace -grounds.. The King’s physicians and other prominent people who came to inquire passed through the gates almost, unnoticed. The crowd, as day wore oh, assumed such dimensions that the Guards had, difficulty in taking up their Bthtions.-^-Australian; Press Association. TENSION OF THE PEOPLE? GRAVE RUMOURS CIRCULATED. LONDON, December-2. • A serious view .is taken of to-night’s bulletin, and considerable anxiety is, stated to exist. The doctors are still at the Palace, at 9 o’clock. Another bulletin is expected before midnight. The Queen and Princess Mary left the Palace for a drive at 3 o’clock. The men defied their hats, and the women bowed .in ’silence. There was no other demonstration. The Queen and Princess Mary bowed as their car passed through the .crowds lining the drive. Both Were obviously anxious. - '

Shortly afterwards .Lord: Dawson was observed to return to the Palace, which Was an unusual visit ,and. enter by gates which are riot frequently used/ Sir Stan-, ley Hewett followed a iew minutes later. Both 'were present for an hour. . .Indeed, so great was the'.tension to-day that grave, rumours circulated in the City and in the far outer London area. Everybody was so keyed up with anxiety that it. was considered desirable early in the afternoon to issue from the Palace an official statement, which read as follows: “'Everything is in order., ;Reports that big Majesty has passed away are abeo-. unfounded.’’—Australian Press Association. . -

THE PRINCE'OF WALES; : HOME ON DECEMBER 14. DAR-ES-SALAAM, December 2. At Suez the Prince of Wales intends to entrain to Port Said and thence by the cruiser Enterprise to Brindisi. He hopes to arrive home on December Id.— United Service. THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER. TO CATCH MAIL STEAMER. (British Offlolal Wireless.) RUGBY, December 2. It is learned that communication has teen established with the Duke of Gloucester, who has intimated that he will return home with due speed. The Duke was expected to reach Sakania, in the Belgian Congo, last night, and arrangements were made for him to travel south by train. The South African Government is making all the necessary arrangements to enable the Dnke to, rush to the coast. Tentative arrangements have been made to .take him by a spcial train from Rhodesia to Capetown to enable him to catch-the mail steamer Balmoral Castle, which leaves there for England on December 7.

THE INFECTIVE PROCESS. A. DIMINUTION RECORDED. LONDON, December 2. A bulletin' issued at- 8.20 p.m. states Shat his Majesty had-quieter sleep during the day and the mfective_proccss continued to diminish. His .temperature tonight waa 100 degrees. At the same time there, is a decline in the strength of his heart.—Australian Press AssociationUnited Service. STRENGTH OF THE HEART. THE DOCTORS ANXIOUS. ■ ‘ ' LONDON, December 3. (Received Dec. 3, at 10 pirn.)’ After a consultation, which lasted 90 minutes; a bulletin-was issued at 12.10 this morning, signed: by Sir Stanley Hewett, Lord Dawson, Sir Farqnhar Buzzard (Pliysician Extraordinary to the King), and Dr L. E. Whitby, bacteriologist, stating: “ His Majesty had some sleep in the last three hours; Further consultation ■ confirms the opinion expressed in. the last bulletin,-and despite ■the improvement of the lung, anxiety concerning the strength of the heart persists.” 1

The report , was also sent to members of the Cabinet; Sir Stanley Hewett and Lord Dawson did not leave the Palace till - 3.30. Australian Press- Association —United,-Service.- -...-- -

THE LATEST BULLETIN. "A SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT.” j, , LONDON, December 3. (Received Dec. 4, at 1.30 a.m.) ■ A bulletin issued at 10.30 read as follows:—“The King, had .three hours of quieter sleep since the last - bulletin. .His temperature is now- 99.8, and there .is slight improvement .in his v general condition. s '—Australian ’ Press Association, . -OXYGEN ADMINISTERED. NOT ANT ALARMING FEATURE. LONDON, December 3. (Received 4, .at 1,30 a.m ) -A, sma H -quantity. .of oxygen was . administered to the King during the night. Tho= palace • officials state that; this is not to .be regarded;, as an alarming feature. Such administrations are ; common. in similar cases.—Australian Press Association—United Service.

SOUTH AFRICAN SYMPATHY.

i . MESSAGE TO THE PRINCE.

(British Official Wireless.)

n RUGBY, December 1, General Hertzog (South' African Prime Minister) has sent a telegram to the Pnnce of Wales expressing the extreme regret of the South African Government at the sad. circumstances which, have rendered necessary the cancellation, of his Royal Highness’s visit to South Africa. On, behalf of the Government and people of South Africa the Prime Minister Wished the Prince God-speed and a safe return, and expressed the hope that the health of the King would improve, and that all cause for anxiety* might soon bo over.

The- Prince replied: “ I am deeply for your telegram and good wishes. Tell all the Union how’keenly .disappointed I am at having to postpone my second , visit, to. which I had been ..looking forward; very much.” yesterday visited; ■Zanzibar; which, though a British protectorate, is-still ruled by the-Sultan as an independent State. He crossed to the island ia the Government, steamer Azania, and visited the ancient palace at Zanzibar. ; .He was able to see something of the strange* Arab town, with its narrow streets and quaint buildings and. . c lovo plantation, from which the island derives most of its wealth. ’ ■ PRAYERS IN THE CHURCHES. ’ ' )' LONDON, December 2. Special prayers were offered ,in all the churches to-day. The Queen, the Duke and Dachea of York, and Princess Mary attended service in the private chapel.— Australian Press Associtiaon. LOCAL CAMBRIAN SOCIETY. A RESOLUTION OP SYMPATHY. .In .the course of‘his opening remarks at the concert held the Cambrian Society of Otago last" evening *in the Pioneer Hall, the Rev. G. E. Morefon (vice-president)' referred to the illness of his Majesty : the King, Mr Moreton. then moved the -following. ■ resolution, which was carried unanimously, all present then singing a . verse* of the National Anthem : — tl That this meeting of Welsh folk resident in Otago desires to convey, through : hia Excellency the Governor-General, its- loyal devotion to tho Throne and-fts sincere sympathy with his Majesty-the King in his illness, and prays that he may -be speedily restored to health.” •