KING’S HOLIDAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19129, 25 September 1936, Page 13

KING’S HOLIDAY

MEETINGS WITH LEADERS

MAY BE EPOOH-MaKLNG

‘‘BRTLLIANT DIPLOMACY’’

LONDON, Sept. 12.

King Edward’s return to England next week brings to a conclusion a cruise which began as a holiday and developed into one of the most remarkable tours a British monarch has ever completed. Sparse reports of the King’s journeyings told-little more than the places he visited and the people he had seen. It has since transpired that his meetings with monarclis and leaders may be epoch-making. Accompanied only by an equerry, a member of Scotland Yard, and a few personal friends and without any elaborate guard of troops, King Edward walked where dictators feared to tread, moving fearlessly in the Balkan capitals where for years dangerous incidents have been common-place. Tho King was not inspired by Ministers or by senior Whitehall officials. ; He may ultimately he found, to have been sounding the European atmosphereill a way that no politician would dare to. PLEA FOR PEACE: It is even murmured that as an astute student of affairs, His Majesty has been delicately handling a job at which the statesmen have thus far failed—namely, tho pacification of Europe. His speeches since his accession have been fervently for peace. Everywhere it is admitted that nobody is better fitted to lay the foundations- of British friendship. As the journey proceeded, the King progressively dropped his .incognito as

“Duke of Lancaster,” and visited as King Edward such notables as the King of Greece, General Metaxas, the Greek Dictator, King Boris of Bulgaria and Kemal Ataturk, the Dictator of Turkey. His tour systematically covered countries lately wooed by Germany. British monarehs rigorously avoid politics. Consequently King Edward’s journeyings possess no direct political motives, but observers, knowing his initiative and realising the achievements of the European dictatorships, find deep significance in his recent contacts. EUROPE IS WONDERING.

All his visits were a tremendous personal success. Kings and dictators have been at his feet.

No Briton lias ever known such a triumph in Turkey, where warships’ guns blazed salutes and the usually undemonstrative masses shouted welcomes and good wishes.

King Edward’s relations towards Kemal Ataturk wore noticeably cordial throughout, the Turkish Dictator himself, with a hearty pull, helping King Edward ashore from a speedboat at. Istanbul quay. King .Boris walked the streets with him and farewellod him at a special train.

Similar spontaneous demonstrations of admiration occurred in other capitals. Europe is now wondering what will ho the sequel to this “brilliant diplomacy.”