QUEEN'S CHARM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23831, 10 June 1939, Page 13

QUEEN'S CHARM

EVERYBODY CAPTIVATED DEEP IMPRESSION MADE PROBLEM FOR NEW YORK WASHINGTON, June 9. (Received June 10, at 0.15 a.m.) Britain's King and Queen slept to-night in White House, which has been painted white to hide scars which remained when it was rebuilt after British troops burned the capital in the war of 1812, their presence there symbolising more strongly the burying of past rancour than all the pomp and ceremony of a fatiguing day. Earlier in the evening President Roosevelt and the,King toasted each other at the State dinner at White House, stressing the friendship between the two nations and expressing confidence that the friendship would always endure. During the evening their Majesties were guests of honour at a White House Musicale which presented a broad composite picture of the music Americans love, including negro spirituals, cowboy ballads and mountain tunes. The artists included Kate Smith, Marian Anderson and Lawrence Tibbett.

The high spot of the day, however, was the procession marking their Majesties' arrival. If they had any doubt about what their American reception was likely to be it was settled quickly, for a crowd estimated at 500,000 lined the capital's streets and filled the roofs and windows of buildings along the route, even clinging to statues. They chered enthusiastically, waved flags, and in general demonstrated how the royal couple have won American hearts. The Queen, in particular, captivated everybody. To-night Washington is humming with comments of her charm, graciousness and beauty, the most common remark being, " Her pictures certainly do not do her justice." Heat Takes Toll

The heat was so intense and the crowd so dense during the procession that ambulance attendants, the Red Cross, doctors, and nurses treated nearly 50C for heat prostration, while one death has been reported, that of an unidentified hawker of boxes for people to stand on in the down town sector There was an epidemic of faintings, somebody falling over every few minutes. Many spectators had been waiting since early morning in order to be suie of vantage points. The curiosity and interest in royalty is far greater than had been expected, indicating that New York crowds when their Majesties arrive there on Saturday are likely to break all records and tax the resources of the police and other agencies. The most conservative estimate places the number of people who will see their Majesties in Nev York at 2,000,000. Since it required 8000 soldiers, sailors and marines, and 1500 policemen and firemen to patrol the procession route to restrain the crowd in Washington it is evident that New York is facing a problem. It is planned to have 200,000 American war veterans in uniform lining the New Yo k parade route. OUTSTANDING INCIDENTS A SEARCH FOR BOMBS WASHINGTON, June 8. Outstanding incidents connected in one way or another with the visit of their Majesties were:— First, the announcement of the release of Sean Russell in Detroit on bond, thus obviating the threat of some Congressmen to boycott the Congressional reception to their Majesties to-morrow. Russell will be given a hearing on Saturday on a deportation warrant, charging him with over-staying his visitor's permit for 30 days.

Secondly, Representative Sweeney announced on the floor of the House, to some applause, that he had telegraphed the King, reminding him of Britain's £5,000,000 war debt to the United States.

Thirdly, the State Department disclosed that it had received an anonymous warning, which had been forwarded to the New York police, containing the addresses of 15 dance halls, bars, and other places, which the writer said were meeting places for radical organisations, where, if a search were made, bombs would be found which were being prepared for their Majesties. The police immediately placed condons round the places mentioned.