KING'S VSIT TO THE FRONT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2328, 9 December 1914, Page 7

KING'S VSIT TO THE FRONT

A ROUND OF JNSPEOTION? London, December 7. , King-saw practically, all the troops, and visited the headquar-i ters of all the army corps and divisional commanders. He inspected different headquarters' departments, and ; many of. the: hospitals.:; ? - '; DIARY OF THE ROYAL'TOUR. '.••' SHADOWED BY AERIAL; PATROL/ (Rec. December 8,8.35 p.m.) ~ London, December 8. ",' 'An eye-witness gives the following 1 diary of the' King's visit to tie front:. On Monday His Majesty ■inspected l the base hospitals, including those re- - served for the Indians.'" ' He reached • Sir John French's headquarters' in the afternoon, and spent Wednesday, and Thursday touring tie; armycorps lines. The complete units, except the men actually, in: the. trenches,were generally paraded on the roadside., After the King drove -through, taking the salute, each unit gave three cheers, the spontaneity: of the:: demonstration showing that genuino enthusiasm had been aroused by the Sovereign's presence among the war-worn troops. At; several places.tho troops fprmea a hoi* low square,'and the King presented de« oorations, including Victoria Drosses. On Tuesday morning His: Majesty;' visited the Indians, and received thei Indian Princes. In the afternoon he met President Poincare and M. Vivi- • ani (the French Premier), General Joff re, and a number- of French Gen-, ' erals. whom he decorated..' ?'' : .'■>'.£!', , On Wednesday'the King motored for seventy miles, inspecting the Third Army Corps, visited the' convalescent homes, and inspected the men in tho trenches, whose kits consisted of goatskin coats, woolly Balaclava oaps, and , sandbags filled with straw; for theirj legs. ■"•' ' ,"v ! King Watohos tho Fighting,. On Thursday* the King visited the, I First and Second Army . Corps, and watched the German bombardment of Ypres, and the fighting , along the Yser Canal/. On Friday he inspected the headquarters, including the' Intelhgenco Department, where three thou-i sand messages.are handled daily,, .JrS tho afternoon ho went to, the "Belgian: front. King Albert received the British King on tho frontier....-v>-. ■' ■ On Saturday, the King inspected the Fifing Corps. Throughout; his visit - the aviators maintained a continuous, aerial patrol above, the Royal party, en* suring their safety..' .:, ..v. : ..-!.->'■ . A Royal Ordar. : ■;,•' His Majesty, at the iconclusion of his tour, issued, an order I expressing; .hiw admiration for the "splendid manner in • which the army'had" fought ,'ouf powerful and relentless enemy. * F havejbeen' particularly impressed by your soldierly, bearing, and: healthy - and : cheerful appearance,' and I ; can assure : you of, the -proud confidence and gratitude.of myself and of'your fellow-countrymen. ..■; . '"A SIMPLE,,FORMAL VISIT." ("Times"; and Sydney "Sun" Services.); (Reo. December 8, 5.10 p.m.) London, December 7. .The London "Times," in its leading article on the subject of the King's tour, says:—"The simple, formal char- . acter of the King's visit to France, and the quietness of his departure and roturn is in exact accordance with the feelings of his subjects"who arei ' engaged in l this: tremendous struggle. Tho nation prefers to show sense of tho gravity of the' situation'- by its. reBtraint and simplicity on.all occasions. •