Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 March 1912 — KING GEORGE’S MAIL BAG [ARTICLE]

KING GEORGE’S MAIL BAG

All letters addressed to the king and queen of England are sent direct to whichever of the royal residences they are occupying from the general postoffice in London in specially sealed bags, says the Strand. In the case of Buckingham palace, this bag arrives, as a rule, just as his majesty is finishing dinner, and is taken charge of by the secretary on duty, who opens it and proceeds to -sort out the contents. Such letters as will ultimately demand the personal attention of King George are placed before him the same night, but it is not often that he deals with them at the moment, save in matters that will not brook delay. He glances through them, makes a few brief notes upon them, and they are then placed under lock and key until he is ready for them on the following morning. He has barely had time to deal with these before the royal breakfast is served and almost simultaneously an even larger bag of correspondence arrives. Only those who have been called' upon to handle them can realize the vastness ot the royal postbags, the contents of which often range from a private communication from some amiable lunatic who considers that his claim to the British throne is superior to that of King George. By the organisation of a well nigh perfect system, however, this heavy correspondence is dealt with in remarkably quick time. Lord Stamfordham, should he be. on duty, opens every contmunicatlon, and, glancing at it, places the bulk of it in the large crimson

leather basket labeled with the tepor of the epistle. Thus Invitations to undertake public functions df one description' or another go into one basket, charitable appeals into another, the official report of the proceedings of the two houses of parliament into a smaller basket, letters of a personal character into a fourth, and so on. At the finish there is a small but highly important little pile left. This is composed of letters from the rulers of other states, personal reports from our ambassadors abroad or communications from ministers at home. These never for one instant leave the custody of whoever is intrusted with the task of opening them. There is a special 1 box standing on the table with a slit in the top of it wide enough to take any paper. It is fastened with a pdtent lock, of which only the king, Lord Knollys and Lord Stamfordham have the keys. These are the first letters that are • presented to the king every morning, together with a memorandum reminding him of the duties he has to perform that day. In many cases the king elects to write letters in reply with his own hand, but should this not be convenient he sends for one of his secretaries and dictates his reply. His majesty is by no means a quick thinker and likes to ponder over every word that be proposes to place on paper. In this respect he presents a curious . contrast to his late father, wto would reply to the most important letter in a few seconds.