"GOD SAVE THE KING."

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15502, 12 November 1914, Page 4

"GOD SAVE THE KING."

MR CROOKS'S QUESTION. j i THE COMMONS' RESPONSE. ' 'Mr Deputy-Speaker, would it be in order tos ng, .'God Save the King?' " The voice was that of Mr Will Crooks. The scene was the House of Commons. Mr Whitley, the DeputySpeaker has just read out the King's speech—after hearing it read in the House of Lords by the Lord Chancellor —and members were rising to go, says the London "Da.ly Telegraph."' Astonishing request! But when Mr Will Crooks is an astonishing personality. He has a heart. Others may rule their actions by'the head. Not so- the member for Woedwich. He goes by the heart. That is his barometer and inward monitor combined. He accepts dictation from that source alone. And if his ueart teds h m that the occasion demands the National Anthem why sing ho must, or Seel acute discomfort. Mr Whitley was evidently taJ en aback. He is a severe precisian, a rigorous formalist. A member wanted to sing! The thing was mi precedent rd. He next might be wanting to dan- ° And yet, how rule the National Anthem out of order? Usually 1 Mr Whitley can flash an answer to any quest on however disconcerting. But in this case he was palpably at a loss. If Mr Crooks felt like singing "Gcd Save the King," what was he to do? Wh.le h© stood considering, M.nisters looked at one another in a puzzled way. Who ( should start the Anthem ? The Home Secretary was the senior Sec; emiy of State present. But he was no choragus. Old "Mabon" would have the very man for the ncment, but "Mabon," alas! is no rmore. Mr Crooks, tlhereforo, tooik heart of grace. Without waiting for-> ieave he started the song himself. Nervous and quavering, the first familiar notes came forth. For one horrid second it seemed as if the singer might collapse in a deplorable fiasco. But then some str mgi i voice chimed in heroically, and by a fraction of a second the situation was saved. "God Save our Gracious Ring.*' Tr» a .twinkling, were on their feet and the grand old anthem roiled up to .the roof, and the strangers in the public gallery caught up the refrain. And wh> not "God S-tVo .1 lie King " after such a true kingly message as members have just listened to, -aid why not the "Hip, hip, hurrah!"— again it was. Mr Wiiil Crooks who led" the cheering—in endorsement of his stirring words? It was a brave sight

to see the Labour members standing there singing' and cheering. And the National Sus, tvo, um:i Mr at their head —an inspiriting scene. And all because Mr W.ll Crooks had . had a lump, in his throat as he heard th-.j King's brave words on tiho war and had felt like singing! Nor was that all. When the cheers were over, Mr Crooks, as a last word at. parting, called out "God Save Ireland." "And God Save England, too!" cried a National st M.P., in response, as he came down the gangway steps. It was Mr Redmond. Not a doubt it. • Clear and ringing tho accent Unmistakable the tone. No one rem in.;, hers the National Anthem being sung in the House of Commons before. But sung it was, and sung with fervour, and all the circumstances of the day—the war, tho K'ng's Speech, the end of a- memorable session, the last stago of the Home Rii'e Bill, and the first Bills carried by the Parl'ament Act—combined to make the episode memorable.