Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 January 1902 — THE KING’S SPEECHES [ARTICLE]

THE KING’S SPEECHES

How the Addresses e's Edward VII. Are Prepared and Delivered. For the first time In many long years newspapers will contain upon various occasions speeches of an Interest that could only attach, to them as being delivered by the highest person In the land. For various well understood reasons the departed Queen could do no real speechinaking. Tfce King, however, began with a deeply Impressive address to his privy council on the first day of his reign, and having regard to the future—especially to the next few months, when his majesty will In all probability be called upon to “say a few words”—lt is interesting to know what are bis capabilities and what his methods.

It inay be said at once that his majesty is regarded as one of the finest royal public speakers in Europe. He is not quite the finest, for, by common consent, that distinction belongs to his nephew, the Kaiser. The King, however, while Prince of Wales, had a very thorough and arduous training as an orator, with the result that be has acquired a polished and easy style. The secret of what success he has achieved as an orator lies in his thoroughness and in his memory. If the King has a really very big speech to deliver on an important occasion, he sometimes resorts to having it typewritten beforehand, and then reads it; but before the speech reaches this stage an enormous amount of time and trouble has invariably been spent upon It. Whatever subject the speech is on, his majesty makes a point of getting all the statistics and other information possible from the Secretary or other officials connected with the coming event, and in addition to this an under Secretary of the King is set to work to get out all kinds of interesting facts bearing upon the subject. A judicious selection is made, and then the material is made up into the speech, which Is written out by the orator, and then type written. Thus his majesty in a speech of any consequence has usually something really good and apropos to say. It is interesting to state in this connection a fact of which few people are aware, and that is the King’s first speech of his reign—the one to the privy council, previously alluded to. In which he spoke of his sorrow and earnest determination to do his best for the empire as a constitutional mqoarch—Was even, under such most trying circumstances, spoken without a single note, with a natural result of greatly increasing its effect. AH the privy councilors agreed that it was a fine address. It Is said that the only consideration his majesty gave to it beforehand was when coming up in the train in the morning. As an extempore speech it will probably rank as the best delivered by tha King. In future his majesty will, no doubt, have to prepare with Infinite carefulness every word he delivers in public, though if he does he will not be following the famous example of the German Emperor. It must be said that the King is now quite enthusiastic as an orator. A little while ago he remarked: “When I was quite young, and had to make a public speech, I used to think that the platform was too large for the room and that I was too small for myself. Then, as a rule, I had very little to say, and plenty of time to say It in; now I seem to have plenty to say, but very little time. As public speaking Is a duty inevitably attached to the office of a Prince, I treat It accordingly.” It Is not unreasonable to suppose that before long our newspaper placards will sometimes bear the announcement, “Great Speech by the King.” It will be a novelty at first, and an interesting one.—London Mail.