WARM TRIBUTES IN PRESS

Southland Times, Issue 23841, 12 June 1939, Page 7

WARM TRIBUTES IN PRESS

POPULARITY OF KING AND QUEEN

“HE CAME, HE SAW AND HE CONQUERED”

(United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received June 11, 7.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, June 11.

The New York Press expresses itself with exceptional warmth on the subject of the King and Queen. Even Mr William Randolph Hearst’s Daily Mirror strikes an extraordinary note of friendliness in spite of its usual notorious anti-British viewpoint.

“He came, he saw, and he conquered, is in short the story of the visit of King George and his charming Queen to the United States, once a colony of the British Empire,” it says. “Historians may ponder and perhaps comprehend this astounding fact: There is not a man in America who can unleash an explosion of popular acclaim that could match the burst of throat-stretching cheers that are greeting their Britannic Majesties.” The New York Times, in a more dignified way, heads its editorial “Keys Of The City,” and comments on the departure of the last representative of the British Crown who left New York 156 years ago, Sir Guy Carleton. “We were obliged to ask Sir Guy to give up the keys of the city,” it says “In a different and happier sense we give them back to King George and Queen Elizabeth . . . They have had a task before them from which ,any mortal might shrink. Neither was trained to it from birth. Indeed, there was no training and no protocol which could guide the conduct of a British King and Queen on American soil, nor which could hide insincerity if that quality had been in their natures. Happily, it was not.” The New York Herald-Tribune’s editorial, entitled “History In The Making,” says: “With every reserve of judgment, who can miss the fact that these two very human sovereigns, King George and Queen Elizabeth, are writing history and nothing else in their hasty, but exceedingly warm and friendly dash to Washington, New York, Hyde Park and back to Canada? Today this city has its chance to share in the nation’s greeting. By every sign the welcomers will surpass in numbers and enthusiasm any similar gathering. Not to form new bonds but to renew old ones, as old as the English tongue and English freedom, New York will stand up and cheer these very' human envoys from an ancient and friendly people.”

MEMORIES OF VISIT TO AUSTRALIA THE KING AND QUEEN AT WORLD’S FAIR (Received June 11, 6.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, June 10. When the King and Queen visited the Australian Pavilion at the World’s Fair the Queen told Mrs L. R. MacGregor, wife of the Australian Trade Commissioner, how pleased she was that the Duke and Duchess of Kent were going to Australia. She added that they were looking forward to their visit very much. The King also mentioned his brother’s impending visit. The Queen’s remarkable memory was illustrated by her recollecting meeting Mr and Mrs MacGregor at Brisbane in 1926. One hundred and fortv Australians or Americans associated with Australian interests were present. Six Diggers wearing medals stood at attention; they included Mr A. E. Bourne, now an accountant at Poughkeepsie, who served with the Canadian cavalrv and later with the Australian artillery.

The King and Queen were in the pavilion seven minutes. They posed for a picture against the background of a huge map of Australia. When her eye fell on reproductions of koala bears the Queen commented how she was attracted by them when in Australia. The King and Queen also visited the New Zealand pavilion, where 75 New Zealanders were gathered. This also brought back recollections of the 1926 tour.

The Queen said she was longing to visit New Zealand again. She stopped at a diorama of Milford Sound and observed how sorry she was that illness caused cancellation of her South Island tour - . Both displayed marked interest in the Maori exhibits. The Queen referred appreciatively to her visit to Rotorua and commented on the spaciousness of the pavilion.