KING AND QUEEN SLEEP AT WHITE HOUSE

Southland Times, Issue 23840, 10 June 1939, Page 7

KING AND QUEEN SLEEP AT WHITE HOUSE

BURYING OF RANCOUR BETWEEN NATIONS SYMBOLIZED

ROYAL VISITORS WELCOMED BY WASHINGTON CROWDS

(United Press Association—Telegraph Copyright) (Received June 9, 10.45 p.m.)

WASHINGTON, June 9.

Britain’s King and Queen slept tonight in White House, which was painted white to hide the scars remaining when it was rebuilt after British troops had burned the capital in the war of 1812, their presence there symbolizing more strongly the burying of past rancour than all the pomp and ceremony of a fatiguing day. Earlier in the evening the President (Mr Franklin D. Roosevelt) and King George VI toasted each other at a State dinner at White House, emphasizing the friendship between the two nations and expressing confidence that the friendship would always endure.

During the evening the King and Queen were the guests of honour at a White House musicale, which presented a broad composite picture of the music the 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 the American reception was likely to be, it was settled quickly, for a crowd estimated at 500,000 persons lined the capital’s streets and filled the roofs and windows of buildings along the route, even clinging to statues. They cheered enthusiastically, waved flags and, in general, demonstrated how the Royal couple have won American hearts. The Queen, in particular, captivated everybody. Tonight Washington is humming with comments on her charm, graciousness and beauty, the most common remark being “Her pictures certainly do not do her justice.

INVESTITURES ON TRAIN

Recipients Able To Wear Decorations

RECORD CROWD WATCHES PARTY’S PROGRESS (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) WASHINGTON, June 8. Hands which have so long been Iguratively clasped across'the sea met in actuality today when the King and the President (Mr Franklin D. Roosevelt) met at a small reception room at the Washington station. 'Hie historic meeting was intimate and friendly. Only the King and Queen and the President and Mrs Roosevelt and the President’s family were present. The British Ambassador in Washington (Sir Ronald Lindsay) and the United States Secretary of State (Mr Cordell Hull) conducted their Majesties to the reception room immediately the train arrived. The Queen wore an assemble of powdered mauve with a crepe coat with cufts trimmed to match and a fox fur. The King and Queen chatted with the President and Mrs Roosevelt for 20 minutes and then emerged. The 70 cars in which the Royal and presidential parties travelled were escorted by cavalry and artillery and 50 tanks. A record crowd massed the streets on the way to White House.

It is estimated that 600,000 persons lined the mile-long Pennsylvania avenue, exceeding by 200,000 the record crowd that witnessed the inauguration of Mr Roosevelt in 1933. The crowd enthusiastically cheered, waved and shouted as the King drove by with the President. The Queen, in the second car with Mrs Roosevelt, held up a sun shade as the temperature was in the nineties. Because Washington is sweltering in a heat-wave neither the Queen nor' Mrs Roosevelt wore the frocks made from American and Empire wool respectively. Ten “flying fortresses” and 42 fighter aeroplanes added their note to the rumble of the tanks and the roar of the crowd. Lining the route were 6000 police and 500 firemen, while Secret Service agents ran alongside the Royal cars, occasionally jumping on to the running boards, providing a touch strange in British eyes.

It was reported earlier from Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) that, for the first time in history, investitures took place on a moving train. Shortly after entering the United States the King conferred the distinction of Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on Sir Ronald Lindsay, Ambassador to the United States, of Knight Commander of the Victorian Order on Sir Alan Lascelles, acting Private Secretary, and of Commander of the Victorian Order on Mr George Steward, Press Liaison officer. The occasion also marked the first time in recent years that honours have been bestowed on foreign soil. His Majesty was actuated by a desire to enable the recipients to wear their decorations at Mr Roosevelt’s reception. For the first time in 8000 miles the Royal train travelled without a pilot today. A hot axle box stopped the pilot train 85 miles north of Harrisburg and the Royal train continued some distance alone. Then another Idcomotive was pressed into service for the pilot train. After 90 minutes’ delay the pilot train, with 100 international correspondents on board, began a 75 miles an hour attempt to overtake the Royal train ... , . Their Majesties anval at Washington was not witnessed by the international correspondents, as the pilot train failed to overtake the Royal train. But for the American locomotive drawing the blue and silver train and New York State troopers instead of Royal Canadian Mounted Police standing in the corridors it would have been hard to realize that the King and Queen had crossed the border. As in Canada crowds were massed at every station and the Americans waited right into the small hours with all the enthusiasm of Britishers for a glimpse of passing Royalty. History takes a sweet revenge as the train was travelling through country which 160 years ago was the scene of the bitterest fighting between George the Third’s Red Coats and George Washington’s ragged Americans. The United States feels keenly the responsibility for the safety

of the Royal visitors. No fewer than 26,000 troops surrounded the tiny station at Niagara where the Secretary of State (Mr Cordell Hull) welcomed their Majesties.

GARDEN PARTY AT EMBASSY

GUESTS TALK ABOUT WEATHER

SOME WOMEN CURTSEY TO QUEEN (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received June 9, 10.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 9. After meeting diplomats at White House and lunching with Mr and Mrs Roosevelt and their family, the King and Queen, escorted by Mr and Mrs Roosevelt travelled 31 miles on a sightseeing tour of the capital and the surrounding countryside, affording an opportunity to thousands of additional Washington citizens to see and cheer them.

The King and Queen then returned to White House, changed their attire and started for the British Embassy garden party. They paused in the White House grounds to receive gifts from 80,000 cheering scouts, 3000 of whom were girls. The Queen wore a white tucked knit gown, with lace insets, a big white picture hat with a small knot of flowers, white lace and ruffled parasol, a diamond bracelet, pearl ear rings and a pearl necklace. The King and Queen, with diplomats and 1400 favoured Americans, gathered in the British Embassy’s four-acre garden and talked about the" weather.

It was a topic they could not avoid, because the temperature was 91 degrees. The sun beat down unmercifully, wilting and ruining specially-made dresses, starched wing collars, carefully pressed trousers and picture hats. To Lady Lindsay’s relief the rain which had been forecast failed to materialize. The Ambassador (Sir Ronald Lindsay) escorted the King through the packed garden. His Majesty spoke longest to Admiral Richard E. Byrd (the polar explorer) and also chatted with the new Soviet Ambassador, M. Constantine Oumansky. Later the King had tea with the financier, Mr J. P. Morgan. The Queen sat with Mrs Leahy, wife of Admiral W. D. Leahy, chief of naval operations, Mrs J. N. Garner, the Vice-President’s wife, Mrs Bingham, widow of a former Ambassador to England, and Mrs Malin Craig, wife of the Army Chief of Staff. The male guests had been told that they might wear linens, if they preferred, but most of then donned morning clothes.

For weeks the women had been debating whether to curtsey to the Queen. The upshot was that about half did so and the remainder, following the lead of Mrs Roosevelt, merely shook hands. The Queen chatted fo; five minutes with Mrs Cornelius Vanderbilt, who waved a gold fan throughout. The Queen’s dress evoked murmurs of admiration. Actually she appeared the coolest person present.