The King, Guns, and Gardens

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 146, 8 July 1937, Page 7

The King, Guns, and Gardens

AVHO'LL FOLLOW THE KING 1

^ir, — Some little vvhiie back, tho matter of guns in parks aiid public gafdehs was under discussioh in your publio opinion colulilns. Some- of youf correspondents wero £or, others agaillst. As one of the latter, contendilig that instruments suggesting death ,and destrUction, inspired by the spirit of hatred aad intolerance, disturbed -the peaceful. (and life— sug--gesting) atmosphere of such plaGBs, 1 contended that their proper place and environment would be l'ound iu the DriU Hall. ' . ' I mentioned, Hrst by way of a hiilt, tbe case of certain ex-servicemen in Great Britain. If'nfaged at the sight of some "captured" guns!i pi'eSeflted to theif towb Us dedoratiorts for- ohe of their parks, they proihptly duillped them in the river. • • One oorrespondent, in reply, asked - me, in a- boiling'over-with'indignation sort' of -niariner s "if - 1 were awure that the guns wefe the property of his Majesty" (.then Kitig lidward). Well, I wasn't. But, if so, 1 presume that, with the rest of the Einpire goods and chatt-els, they pussed into the possession of his successor. And one of the very first actB of George VI after his accession was to oidor the removal of some guns decorating his private gardens, because, in his own wordsj he "did not consider guns were fitting^ornaments for gardens.'* Now, it is always understOod that the King can do no wrong. Why not imitate his action, and rid our parks hf RilCh — Yniil-9. p+.ft..

Hastings, July 7f 1937.