The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, APRIL 2nd, 1925. THE PEACEMAKER

Hokitika Guardian, 2 April 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, APRIL 2nd, 1925. THE PEACEMAKER

In tlie “London 01 iso nor'’ recently there apjieared an outline of the biography of King Edward VII., which was communicated to a representative of that journal in a special interview by Sir Sidney Lee. In the course of the interview Sir Sidney said:—“The widespread notion that King Edward before he came to the throne was predominantly a man of pleasure,, deficient in serious interests, will, I trust, Ire’ dissipated for ever a.s soon as the book appears. Something is already known of the late King’s activities in philanthropic movements and as an organiser of exhibitions, but

I hope I shall bring home to my reader the exceptional business aptitude which he brought to these ollorts and the efficiency of His active supervision. The success, for example, of the British section at the great Baris .Exhibition of 1878 was due almost entirely to lirtireless energy. King Edward's love of France, which heredity completely fails to explain declared itself very early in his career. As a hoy he was greatly attracted by the Emperor Napoleon 111, and the Etmpi css Eugenie, and the Emperor, up to the time of his fall, showed lonfidemc in his political sagaeitv. . . Even when the cloud; were heaviest he never lust laith in the essential value and the ultimate fulfilment of the A ngle-T’rench entente. His dislike of ITussianism manifested itself almost as early as his lilting lot Frame. As a man of the world and a lover of peace he at the same time was prepared to do v.lial he reasonably could to conciliate Germany, in spite of her swelling ambitions. With Prince Bisimuek’s principles of government he had small sympathy, hut his interviews with him. from 1878 onwards until the Chancellors dismissal from ollii'C. were, oil the siirluec, quite cordial, and much interesting political eonversation passed between them. Iho numerous unpublished papers to v, hieli I have had access place the ex-Kaiser in a peculiarly favourable light, though my general estimate does not niiiteiialIv differ from that reached hv these in close, relations xx itli him at the Berlin Court and at the Wi 1 lielinstrawse whose memoirs have been lately piiMi.slicil in (termnnv. The evidence 1 am producing will show that white tie ex-Kaiser "as lulling with blandishments his kinsfolk in England, in the earlv daws of our South Atrie-an diliiculty. lie was simultaneously engaging in desperate oil'oats to goad the Bowers of Europe into making war on this country under his leadership. Ol his relations with ‘English statesmen, notably with Mr Gladstone, Lord Beaconsfiold, and Mini Salisbury, I have much to toll. Practically nothing of the intimate correspondence between these statesmen and the late King lias yet seen the light. The hook contains numerous extracts from a vast amount of unpublished correspondence. 'These extracts T fuse into niv narrative so that the late King’s views of the great political issues and personages of the dav are given in his own words. Nothing can he more creditable to the two men than the generous feeling which. Imbues the fifty years’ intercourse of the late King with Air (Had stone. They differed on a vast number of political issues, hut their personal respect for one another was never thereby impaired. The late King’s fidelity to his early friends and associates is indeed a most- salient l.i graphic fact.’’