KINGS AND THEIR JOBS.

Shannon News, 1 April 1924, Page 1

KINGS AND THEIR JOBS.

ROYALTY THROUGH AMERICAN EYES. t Shrewd and amusing things atibut monarchy are said by Mr. Fredrick L, Collins,' an American journalist, who knows his Europe, in "This King Business." He tells us that —"for Europe"—he is "inclined to be patient with monarchy." "No one can frequent ythe courts of Europe in the belief, or hope that monarchy is dead, or even presently dying. I came to these courts a confirmed believer in Republicanism . I leftfl an even firmer believer in that form of government- 1 - for America." As regards ourselves: "This is tho chief difference between . British royalty and other 'royalty. British royalty performs a necessary function; it is a going concern." Queen Victoria, he remarks, "made the British Throne a very secure one. The present Prince of Wales promises to make it the papular Throne in the long history of the monarchy. All the Heir-Apparent needs to do to the British Throne is to sit on it!" He remarks that, counting uniforms, the Prince of Wales "has a suit for every day in. the year." "But the Prince cherishes his multiple wardrobe as a mechanic cherishes his tools, of a physician his pill-boxes. For the Prince is a business man. And these are his business suits In fact, the only suits which the Prince can cjhuose according to his private taste are his pyjamas! "I want to show you; a letter from my sister," he quotes the. Prince as saying, "one evening last year" while ho was on his travels. "Listen to this," he laughed, pointing to the following ; sentences which he proceeded to deliver I with great unction: "I have a new hat ■; Mother trimmed it. You can imagine I what it is like!* " j

Of the Queen, he says: "She com. mands an immense respect from, the English people not alone for what she does, but for what she is.", Mr Collins pays an equally sincere tribute to the King. "Even if it were true, as many visitors think, that the King of England does nothing except appoint Scotsmen to make jam for him and Piccadilly hatters to keep him in lids, it is doubtful, if the Britisher would throw him out. British royalty have transformed perfunctory service into a religon. Every day they give their lives for their people. Queen Marie of Rumania is deacrib-. ed as "The Woman Charlemagne" who is "marrying an Empire."; The* Italian King's "chief job," as Mr Collins puts it, is "to introduce the outgoing Premier to his successor.". "He, is the Tex Riekard of Italy. He matches Mr Lenin's Communists against Mr Mussolini's . Fascisti, and the winner fights Mr Marx's Socialists for the Premier's Cup.

The King of ' Spain; Mr Collins writes of as "The royal play-boy." Of the Queen, he says, "Until she altered her position (her refusal to attend a bull-fight), as she was ultimately forced to do, , she .was never really