The Washington times. [volume], December 03, 1936, Page 2, Image 2

About The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939

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2
LONDON ROCKED BY CONTROVERSY OVER KING'S ROMANCE
THRONGS JAM STREETS
BEFORE WALLIS' HOUSE
(Continued from Page 1)
King remained in seclusion, was turned into an armed
fortress.
Hour after hour saw feverish conferences in progress.
King Edward summoned his advisers to Belvedere, Bald
win was closeted with his ministers, and the Duke of
York, already being groomed by the press as Edward’s
successor in event of abdication, talked with his mother,
Queen Mary, at Marlborough House.
After a series of family conferences bearing on the romance,
Queen Mary suddenly left Marlborough House for an unknown
destination. Efforts to ascertain whether she was headed for
Port Belvedere, where King Edward is staying, were without
success.
Efforts to Force a Showdown
On King's Romance Balked
By DAVID P. SENTNER
(Copyright, 183«, by International News Service)
LONDON, Dec. 3.—Efforts of the labor party to force an
immediate showdown in the House of Commons on the govern
ment’s plans in the crisis brought about by King Edward’s de
termination to marry Mrs. Wallis Warfield Simpson were
balked today.
Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, who has threatened to re
sign with all of his cabinet and has demanded abdication of
King Edward if he persists in his marriage intentions, declined
to make a statement in the house.
In response to a demand by 1
Clement Attlee, leader of the La
bor Party and a reputed supporter
of the King’s right to marry the
woman of his choice, Baldwin an
nounced:
"I have no statement to make
today.”
Baldwin continued:
“There does not at present
exist any constitutional difficul
ties. The situation is of such a
nature as to make it inexpedient
that I be questioned about it at
this stage.”
Royal Family Confers
Attlee’s original question at
tempting to bring the issue before
the House read:
“I would like to ask the Prime
Minister a private notice ques
tion — whether any constitu
tional difficulties have arisen
and whether he has any state
ment to make.”
The grave constitutional crisis
confronting the British Empire
moved for this brief moment into
the musty atmosphere of the
House of Commons while every
member of the royal family, from
King Edward down, devoted their
entire attention to the situation,
cancelling all their appointments
and participating in feverish con
ferences designed to find a path
out of the impasse.
Will Answer “Soon”
King Edward spent the morn
ing with his closest personal ad
visers at Fort Belvedere, his coun
try home, and was reported to
have drafted a message for imme
diate delivery to Baldwin.
The monarch earlier informed
him by telephone he would not
need the two weeks stipulated by
the premier to answer the abdica
tion demand, but would be pre
pared to offer it “much sooner.”
But either Baldwin had not yet
received the King’s reply or
’ deemed it necessary of further
consideration before committing
’ himself to the house.
Pressed for Details
His declaration that no consti
tutional difficulties exist was re
; ceived with some skepticism by
; the majority of members, for
’ virtual admissions of a constitu
t tlonal crisis had been made by
government officials previously
and the British press itself made
■ no attempt to disguise this fact.
; Dissatisfaction with the govern
ment’s delay in making a public
t pronouncement was manifest.
Winston Churchill, former chan
cellor of the exchequer, pressed
Baldwin for a commitment.
He asked whether the govern
ment would insure that no irrevoc
able step (forced abdication of
the King would fall into this
category) would be taken before
a statement is made in the
House. The premier replied:
“I have nothing to add to
the statement at the present
; moment.”
PARRIES QUESTIONS
Attlee himself was not content.
He addressed this second question:
“May I ask the Premier
whether in view of the anxiety
in the minds of many people he
can assure the House he will
make a statement at the earliest
possible time that statement can
be made.”
; This Baldwin parried as follows:
“I have all that Mr. Attlee
has said very much in mind.”
This ended the exchange, for
the meantime, at least. The
House emptied rapidly but the
members gathered in the lobbies,
■ excitedly discussing the situation.
Sees Counsellors
A morning of feverish consulta
tion with his closest personal ad
visers found the King ready to
make one of the most momentous
decisions in the history of the Brit
ish Empire.
It will be whether to marry Mrs.
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*
Simpson, renounce his throne or
perhaps accept or demand one of
the many compromises proposed
by newspapers and officials as a
way out of the grave impasse
which his romance has precipi
tated.
Throughout the morning. King
Edward conferred with Sir God
frey Thomas, his private secretary,
and other members of the royal
household at Fort Belvedere, his
country retreat and the scene of
his happiest hours with the Amer
ican woman who has become the
center of the most serious consti
tutional crisis England has ever
known.
Press Takes Sides
Sir Godfrey and his colleagues
set out from Fort Belvedere for
London after the conference.
In their hands was believed to
be a message from King Edward
to Stanley Baldwin, the portly con
servative premier who has told
the monarch the cabinet would
, prefer abdication to his marriage
to Mrs. Simpson and who gave
him a fortnight to make his de
cision.
The most sorely tried official in
the empire at the moment, Bald
i win found himself the center of
bitter argument—with old-line
tories and the church supporting
him in the stand that the mar
riage cannot be tolerated, and lib
eral and laborite schools of
thought sanctioning the union
provided only Mrs. Simpson is not
accorded the status of queen.
York Rushes Back
Vieing with the king and Bald
win as a focal point of attention
I was the Duke of York, younger
brother to the monarch and heir
to the throne, who cut short a
visit to Scotland and rushed back
to London on a night train be
cause of the crisis.
He was met by cheering crowds
and a flood of newspaper public
ity, all of a highly favorable na<
ture, building him up as successor
to Edward should the king decide
to abdicate.
Pictures of the duke and duchess
and their charming children were
splashed all over front pages and
a popular ovation such as he never
experienced before was accorded
him on his arrival.
The duke’s first step was to visit
his mother. Queen Mary, at Marl
borough House.
There continued unabated the
flood of rumor and report, little
of it capable either of confirma
tion or official denial.
Rumors Denied
But from the tangled maze of
fact and fiction there did emerge
the following apparent truths:
Mrs. Simpson has no intention
of leaving England under pressure
or through the dictation of any
intrigue.
’ King Edward has not sold his
' Canadian ranch to Lincoln Ells
worth, as widely reported, in a
preparatory move toward abdica
tion, and neither Ellsworth nor
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THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, Primate of Eng
land, with whom the King does not wish to confer on the
subject of his marriage to Mrs. Simpson. At least, when
Prime Minister Baldwin suggested to the sovereign today
that the archbishop be among those to discuss the matter
with him, Edward said he would talk to Mr. Baldwin alone.
International News Photo.
anyone else is standing by to fly
the Monarch from his country.
Nor did the Duke of York, now
being widely built up as next King
of England should Edward decide
to abdicate, visit his elder brother
at Belvedere during the morning
in a supposed last-minute appeal
to reconsider.
In the midst of all the turmoil
came a new report that a move
was anticipated to expedite Mrs.
Simpson’s absolute divorce from
Ernest Aldrich Simpson within a
few days—a step presumably de
signed to hasten her marriage
with the King.
But this, like so many others,
went without confirmation.
Clement Attlee, leader of the
labor party, has informed the
premier that his party may sup
port the King against the prime
minister.
Labor Leaders to Meet
Pressed for an assurance he
would not attempt to form a new
cabinet in the event of Baldwin’s
resignation over the marriage is
sue. Attlee said he could not make
such a promise without approval
of the parliamentary labor party,
which was understood summoned
for a meeting in commons this
afternoon.
Attlee, it was understood, told
Baldw-*' he was bound to point
out that feeling among the rank
and file of labor was for the King
and that laborites in general held
the opinion, the monarch should
be permitted to marry the woman
of his choice.
To protect the royal succession,
he proposed, a barrier act should
be passed by Parliament to prevent
the heir of a marriage between the
King and Mrs. Simpson from suc
ceeding to the throne.
Wally’s House Guarded
Labor, he stressed to the premier,
would regard this as a satisfactory
solution. How Baldwin received
the proposal or what the answer
he gave to Attlee remains for the
present unknown.
The extraordinarily heavy police
guard assigned to Mrs. Simpson’s
columned residence in Cumberland
Terrace, where excited masses of
THE WASHINGTON TIMES, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3,193 S
’ sightseers blocked the street in
I hope of a glimpse of her. found a
counterpart at Fort Belvedere it
, self.
This famous rambling cottage of
the King was transformed into an
impregnable fortress. Even official
dispatch riders were forbidden
entry, being compelled to dismount
at the gates and hand over their
papers to waiting guards.
Duke Cancels V’isit
Plainclothesmen from Scotland
Yard paraded over the lawns and
through the flower gardens so
often tended by Mrs. Simpson’s
hands. The house was bathed in
sunshine, but all that a constant
i stream of automobiling sightseers
saw were locked gates, stern-visaged
guards and curtained windows.
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MOVE 15 BEGUN
BY LABORITE
TO BACK KING
House of Commons
Plan Would 0. K.
His Marriage
LONDON, Dec. 3 (1.N.5.).-—A
move to Tine up the British par
liament squarely behind King
Edward in his determination to
marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson was
begun in the house of commons
today.
Col. Josiah Wedgwood, wealthy
laborite M. P. and war hero,
served notice asking early debate
of the following:
"That In the opinion of this
house the oath of allegiance
which they have taken to King
Edward is unaffected by any
form of coronation or by the
presence thereat or the absence
therefrom of any dignitary or
personage whatsoever nor will
they substitute any other for
the King.”
Acceptance of Wedgwood’s
measure put the House on record
as sanctioning King Edward’s mar
riage to Mrs. Simpson in advance.
It would also constitute repudi
ation of any successor to King Ed
ward should he be forced to abdi
cate, and at the same time ren
der the monarch’s coronation legal
and binding even if the Archbishop
of Canterbury refuses to officiate,
as he has threatened to do.
Explaining his motion, Wedg
wood said:
“The thing we have got to
avoid more than anything else
is abdication.
“The King is beloved. Any
change will tear the country in
two. If a general election fol
lows on the question, the reply
will be on the side of the King.
“The vast bulk of people hate
seeing a man bullied, and will
respect a man who stands up for
his rights.
“The coronation service is
only a church performance and
has nothing whatever to do with
the people of this country apart
from their desire to keep up old
traditions.
“Whatever happens, the King
must be King.”
Survivor of Crash
To Leave Hospital
UNIONTOWN, Pa„ Dec. 3
(1.N.5.). —Mrs. Hilda Ellenstein,
only passenger who survived the
crash of the transport plane “Sun
Racer” here last April, in which
12 persons died, may leave Union
town Hospital Saturday, physicians
revealed today.
Wife of Meyer Ellenstein, mayor
of Newark, N. J„ Mrs, Ellenstein
underwent several operations on
her legs after it had been feared
she would not walk again.
BALDWIN GETS
AUSTRALIAN
BACKING
Government Decides
On Policy to Take
With King
MELBOURNE, Australia. Dec.
3 (I.N.S.). —Prime Minister Joseph
A, Lyons, of Australia, with the
support of Labor Party leaders,
today decided to back Premier
Stanley Baldwin in whatever he
may take in the constitutional
struggle with King Edward.
The Australian press hinted
that the King would either have
to back down on his marriage
plans or abdicate.
Since King Edward is highly
popular among his Australian sub
jects, the opinion is that he should
be free to associate with Mrs.
Wallis Simpson as a friend, but
strong opposition is evident to the
selection of a divorced American
as Queen.
The conservative Sydney Herald
and Melbourne Argus both “broke”
the London story, stating the
cabinet opposes the marriage, for
the first time today. The domin
ions, in the main, have been in the
dark regarding the King’s mar
riage plans as much as Britain
itself.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa,
Dec. 3 (I.N.S.).—Newspapers in
this, the dominion that probably
more than any other leans toward
separation from the British Em
pire, today splanshed news of the
British cabinet-King controversy.
The Cape Times urged the Lon
don government immediately to
“place the wh»le truth before the
empire.”
OTTAWA. Ontario, Dec. 3
(I.N.S.).—Canadian statesmen and
constitutional authorities read re
ports of complications surround
ing the Empire’s throne, and of
ficial Canada wondered what un
precedented effect abdication of
Edward VIII would have on this
nation and the commonwealth of
which it is a part.
Plans for a large Canadian
delegation to the coronation next
spring to include many high offi
cials and exservice men are being
made,
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Ellsworth Calls
On King; Denies
Aid in Crisis
p /Ow
1 Fwl fli
LINCOLN ELLSWORTH
LONDON, Dec. 3 (I.N.S,).—A
second American—Lincoln Ells
worth, the explorer—was injected
into King Edward's marriage crisis
today.
Despite denials from Ellsworth
himself, reports persisted that he,
as a personal friend of the King,
was standing by ready in one way
or another to help the monarch
carry out whatever decision he
may make in the question of
whether to abdicate or end his
plans to marry Mrs. Simpson.
Ellsworth was called to Bucking
ham Palace late yesterday by the
King. Following his visit the Press
Association circulated the follow
ing report:
“The Press Association learns
authoritatively the King is
negotiating for sale of his Cana
dian ranch to Lincoln Ellsworth,
the well-known American ex
plorer.”
Purchase Denied
There were reports the King
would use the cash obtained from
such a sale for a trip from England.
Ellsworth told International News
Service he wanted to circulate “the
strongest possible denial” to re
ports he had purchased the King’s
ranch or was holding himself in
readiness to fly King Edward and
Mrs. Simpson abroad, or “in any
other way to assist them in their
private affairs.”
MRS. SIMPSON
ADMIRED BY
VA. SOCIETY
Hunting Set Members
Recall Her Charms;
All 'For z Beauty
International Newi Service
“One didn’t have to be *
king to fall for ‘Wally’ Simp
son.”
Lee Evans, former master of
the Warrenton (Va.) Hunt, re
marked this reminiscently a few
evenings ago when a group of
Mrs. Wallis Warfield Simpsons
friends gathered in Warrenton,
heart of the Virginia hunting
country, and everyone was dis
cussing the most discussed lady
in the world.
That was the reaction in Wash
ington, Maryland and Virginia
social circles today .to reports
that King Edward would abdi
cate, if necessary, to marry the
former Baltimore beauty.
“Favorite Daughter”
Mrs. Simpson has been claimed
by almost as many States as
Homer. Maryland. Virginia, and
the District of Columbia are all
certain of proprietary rights. Ber
muda, where she spent consider
able time during her first mar
riage. cherishes memories of her,
and speaks of her charm. It was
in Bermuda that she first met
King Edward, but, beyond a curtsy,
the acquaintance did not go.
In Pacific naval ports, where
she went as the bride of the then
Lieut. Winfield S. Spencer, every
one is for *Wally.”
According to her old Warrenton
friends she is the type whose ar
rival starts a party. She is easy,
gracious, full of enthusiasm, and
has the subtle art of putting every
one on good terms with himself.
Edward “Pursuer”
It is easy to understand, say
these Virginians, how a man like
Edward VIII, wrapped in court
ceremonial from the time of his
birth, enjoyed immensely getting
away from all the bending, bow
ing, backward-walking, genuflect
ing. gold-stick-in waiting business,
to relax in the society of a charm
ingly witty woman like Mrs. Simp
son.