Nothing could possibly be more inspiring than the magnificent welcome which has been given Their Majesties the King and Queen, since their arrival in Canada, and there is now every prospect of the Royal tour being a phenomenal success. Not that there was any real doubt about it, for during the past few weeks the telegrams emanating from the Dominion have amply indicated the warmth of the welcome which awaited the Royal pair. The climax of the visit to Ottawa came at the unveiling of the National War Memorial by the King. His Majesty struck the right note when in his speech he declared that "Without freedom there can be no enduring peace, without peace there can be no enduring freedom," for it was a reminder that liberty cannot be found in the helotry of war, and indeed may be destroyed by it: On the other side of the Atlantic ocean that sentiment was corroborated by M. Georges Bonnet, French Foreign Minister whd said that a continuous threat against peace will diminish the dignity and happiness of mankind. No better occasion could the King avail himself of for the utterance of such a sentiment than at the unveiling of a memorial to the contribution which Canada made to the cause of the Empire when the security of world peace was at stake, and even the very existence of the Empire threatened, and in saying what he did His Majesty merely repeated what is in the heart of every loyal member of the British Commonwealth of nations. The brilliance of the scene around the memorial, the striking demonstrations of loyalty to the Crown and the persons of Their Majesties undoubtedly inspired them to move unrestrainedly amongst their subjects, walking behind the massed lines of the police and meeting the people without the slightest shadow of hesitancy. It was the type of democratic gesture most likely to appeal to such people as the Canadians, and was so complete an indication of Royal trust in their loyalty that the incident will probably long be remembered in the history of the tour.
There cannot be the slightest doubt from the reports which have come to hand, that the King and Queen have captured the hearts of their Canadian subjects, and that the Queen in particular has evoked an enthusiastic admiration for which alone the visit would have been worth while. It is perhaps inevitable that this should be so, for there has always been a quiet charm about the couple, representing all that is good in the British family life, something which is appreciated the world over, to which has to be added the personal appeal of both of them. What will be particularly gratifying to the rest of the Commonwealth is the spontaneous demonstrations of welcome which have been given Their Majesties, not only by the inhabitants of the towns and cities which they are visiting, but also by those thousands who. have made especial and long pilgrimages for the purpose of showing their loyalty to the Crown. These demonstrations have more than a mere local importance in such times as these. Because of existing world conditions they acquire a political significance as indicating to the world at large that there has been no diminution of the loyalty of the component parts of the Empire to the ideal Gf the whole. The solidarity of the Empire must of necessity be an important factor in the decisions of policy which have to be made under such grave conditions as now prevail, while at the same time it gives the lie direct to those who profess to see symptoms of schisms which in fact do not exist. It may be confidently alleged that the nature of the British people is such that, even if they did exist, a threat common to all would send them into abeyance in view of the necessity of meeting any menace from outside parties. Families do sometimes quarrel amongst themselves—fortunately there is no sign of this in the Empire at the present moment,—but they have always the faculty of rapidly forgetting disputes, and combining against any who seek to intervene. Canada, that rich jewel in the British crown, is proving no exception to the general rule, and the widespread demonstrations of loyalty to the King and the Empire over the destinies of which he presides are more than a little comforting.
Many more spots in Canada have yet to be visited before they commence the other and equally-important portion of their tour, namely their visit to the President of the United States, an event unique in the history of the two great nations of the United States and Great Britain. That event has been keenly looked forward to in both countries, and, if it has the effect of bringing the two closer together: in understanding and sympathy than ever before, the visit will be well worth the while. The democratic action of Their Majesties in mingling with the crowd in Ottawa will undoubtedly have commended itself to the people of the great American republic and continued success of the tour in Canada will undoubtedly serve to ensure similar results when they have crossed the frontier towards the end of their visit to enter the United States. There will be thousands in the United States who will seek to see Their Majesties, millions who will follow their progress through the land with interest which is begotten of that hospitality for which the people of the United States are şo well known. It is inevitable that, while there is no political motive for the visit to the United States, some political effect will be obtained, even if it is only to inspire a greater interest in the United States for Great Britain and the problems with which that country is confronted. Of recent years there has been growing a com-pieter understanding of the place which the British Empire has taken in the world, and a greater degree of sympathy. That arose from the understanding, but, if the personal appeal of Their Majesties to the people of the United States is as powerful as it is proving to be to the people of Canada, this second part of their tour in the western hemisphere is as likely to be productive of good results as that portion through which they are now passing. It is impossible not to regard what has happened up to the present with considerable enthusiasm as promising a successful result for the whole of the royal tour.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.