THE PEACEMAKER

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10653, 7 June 1912, Page 5

THE PEACEMAKER

CABLE NEWS

(United Press Association — By Electric Tehgraph — Copyright.)

A CANDID MEMOIR OF THE LATE KING EDWARD. (.Received Last Night, 8.23 o'clock.) LONDON, Juno 6. An outstanding feature in the new volume of t'lie "uietionary of National Biogratphv" is Mr bydncy Lee's -candid memoir cf thia late King Edward. Th:s is 2'a,'.wcly 'based on information received (from unpublished and unwritten sources. , The memoir says:— "Queen Victoria's obstinate refusal to cran't li:m genuine political responsibility or a scribled, soM occupation, somewhat affected his moral robustness, while the gloom of hie mother's Court helped to evoke a reaction, against t'he conventional 1 strictness of' his upbringing. Among the proposals for his employment which Ojueeti Victoria vetoed was one of Mr GJ'adi'tone's in. 1873, that the Prince should join the India Council. The Cabinet key, giving access to foreign ■ deepaibrhss', was not granted 'hkn until 1895, at his accession. Ho was a stranger to the administrative details of hi.s great office, when, •too old to repair the neglect of his political training. Though at the outset there were flight indication's that ho over-estimated a. Sovereign's power, rthLs was due to his inexperience. La>ter. in- Hoir.e .politics, he was far the .most part content with the role of an 'GiifojkoiV viewing dota'chfedly t'he pro-gramme-of ail parties. He earnestly desired a. peaceful solution of the Lords and Cbmoiions conflict, hut passively acqiuicT«ed im iivir Aequith's plans. King Edward found no comfort in the action cf any of the parties' to strife, ; .but to the last privately cherished the I oonviniion that peace-' could ho reached I without the creation of peers. Though itlicro wore short'seasons cf variance between' him and ithe Kaiser, be could no*, ba charged with deliberate and I systematic hostility towards the Gerirnia.il oeople. His personal fee'it'ng very csuperftciailly affected the mutual jealousy which grew up during his reign (between. Britain and Germany. He was a peacemaker, not through the exercise of any diptomati.? initiative or ingenuity, hut by his faith in the blessingts of peace, and his influence , k> passively attacking high stations. I His> temperamenit and his personality greatly strengthened the hold of Royalty upon the public affection. Probably no King wca.,6o affectionately the "goodwill, at■ once of the'foreign peoples and his own of tliei world, he lacked the:•■intellect-',' ual equipment of a, thinker. Yet he was always .eager-for .kufcrmation, and gathered orally "> very varied stores of knowledge."