THE KAISER IN ENGLAND
Six,—Mr. F. W. Hinde, in The Spectator of December 31st, " ventures to state" that Mr. Harold Nicolson's comment that " pale and solemn, the German Emperor William II had walked behind Queen Victoria's coffin through the streets " " is not correct." But Mr. Harold Nicolson's state- ment is quite correct. What Mr. Hinde has forgotten is that Queen Victoria's funeral took place in several stages, the penultimate stage being through the streets of Windsor from the Great Western Railway station to the entrance to Windsor Great Park.
Now I was on this line of route at Windsor as a keen-eyed, alert youngster in his early teens who had wormed himself into a good position to see what was to be seen. During the waiting time a gun- carriage drawn by brown horses had passed in a direction towards the station. Some time later, as the actual funeral procession approached, everybody was surprised to see that the gun-carriage carrying the coffin was being drawn by about fifty sailors. Immediately behind I saw quite clearly the Kaiser, " pale and solemn walking through the streets," with King Edward VII and the Duke of Connaught.
The use of the party of sailors in this solemn and honourable task was unexpected by the public. Some people said that the horses had become restive at the station and the naval party there had taken their place. But I was puzzled as to where the white drag-ropes had come from. Later on as I grew older and knew more of our Navy I realised that this incident of the sailors with their drag-ropes illustrated a great principle observed by our Navy, "Readiness for all emergencies."—
Yours faithfully, FRANK WALLINGTON. 53 Hatley Avenue, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex.
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