THE KING'S WORK

Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1917, Page 6

THE KING'S WORK

A TYPICAL DAY. NO HOLIDAYS. (By the (Special Correspondent of the London Daily Mail). There is one man who is working as hard as the hardest-worked man in this country and he is the Sovereign of the Ream When Mr. Lloyd George made Uns statement at Glasgow, bringing the audience to their feet in a hurst of enthusiasm, he spoke of what was well within lus knowledge. The King takes no holidays. He is at work from early morning .until late at night He keeps himself informed at first hand of the multifarious activities di a great Empire at war. He receives svery day summaries of the information winch comes to the Government departments, and if he requires further enlightenment h e asks the Minister 'or ofheer concerned to call and see him His memory is wide and exact He is hot content until he is in full posses . sion of the facts.

_ Being the head of the biggest concern in the world, his work has to be organised on scientific lines, or it would never get done. He gets up early in the morning and goes carefully through the newspapers. By 8.30 he is ready for his secretaries, and the morning mail takes until about 10.30, though work is at hi«-h pressure. From 10.3 ft until luncheon there are engagements at the palaoe, and these are so nicely ordered that very quarter of an hour is occupied.

'•'DO IT NOW" MOTTO. Between 3 and 5 p.m. the King risits Institutions such as munition factories flying grounds, military establishments' war hospitals and the like. Between d.30 and 8 he is again at work, for Mores of papers have to .bo considered and scores of documents signed. take one instance, every list of promotions has to be signed with the King's own hand. During dinner other papers have a habit of coming in, and xaoso Me dealb with before going to bed. The King's motto is "Do it now." He Is what the Americans call a "clean desk" man; he allows no unfinished work fto accumulate. Wherever he goes —to the fighting front, to the Grand Fleet, or elsewhere—messengers follow daily with dispatches to be read and papers to ibe signed, and they bring the completed document back to London, no time wasted.

He sees Ministers and Ambassadors, military and naval attaches, representatives of Foreign Powers, heads of jii». sions, both 'when they depart and when they return, high administrative officers of the navy and the army—interesting men and women of all sorts. The interviews are businesslike and genial. There are many ceremonial functions, of course, for that represents one of the important duties of a king; but the majority of callers come on business pure and simple. The .Prime Minister frequently goes to the palace to discuss affairs. So do other Ministers. The King keeps i informed in foreign affair*

SUMMONSES BY TELEPHONE. Summonses are frequently telephone. They are, not, as is sometimes supposed, in the nature of tßoval commands. A busy man himself the King is very considerate for other busy men. He will not have them disturbed in the middle of important work. he is careful not to interfere with their rare week-ends in the country. Since the war began the 'King has made over .ISO inspections of troops. He has seen nearly every division More it went to the front. He has visited ! upwards'of 250 hospitals. He has been three times to the Grand Fleet, to- say nothing of numerous visits to naval ports, shipyards, docks and bases. He has presented with his own hands over 10,000 decorations. He has inspected Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans. He has received fightins; men from America. He has discussed the war with illustrious men representing all our Allies, LITTLE RECREATION.

( _ All this, a« may be imagined, leaves mm little time for recreation. He rides at Windsor and Aldershot, and he has dug potato plots at Frogmore, or he J takes a keen interest in the increased ! production of food.. When in London the main diversion he permits himself is stump collecting His collection of British stamps,is probably the best in the world. It is constantly enlarged .oy new issues and "surehanges." His warmap room is brought up-to-date every day. Being a sailor, h e has sea-charts of exceptional interest, and those also are constantly marked. Naval and military reports reach him daily. The Chief of the Imperial General Staff and the First Sea Lord frequently make reports to the King. The Royal palaces aro on strict food rations and no alcoholic liquors are permitted within them. Except for a slight relaxation when, after his accident in France, he was under medical orders, the King has imposed a pledge of abstinence upon himself, and the rule is followed in the Royal household.

In short, the King might at the end of any day join the Gilbertian Kings of Barataria in singing:— With a pleasure that's emphatic We retire to our attic, With the gratifying feeling that our duty has been done.