ception of President Fallieres of France; his visit, with Queen
Alexandra and a large suite, to Russia--the first of the kind in British
history--and a meeting with the Czar at Revel on June 8th; his
conference with the German Emperor at Cronberg on August 11th and with
the Austrian Emperor at Ischl on the 12th. During the last year of his
reign, King Edward's personal intercourse and diplomatic meetings with
other rulers were undoubtedly conducive to continued peace and to better
mutual understandings. His Majesty met the German Emperor at Berlin on
February 8, 1909, the French President at Paris on March 6th, the King
of Spain at Biarritz on March 31st, the King of Italy on April 29th, the
Emperor of Russia at Cowes on August 2d. Just as Britain was an
American Power at this time because of Canada, an Asiatic Power because
of India and an African Power because of many possessions, so Canada was
an European Power because of its connection with Great Britain, and
Australia an Eastern Power because of its proximity to China and Japan,
and a European Power because of the nearness of Germany in New Guinea
and of France in New Caledonia. Hence, to all these countries and for
obvious reasons of common interest, the importance in an Empire sense of
the King's personality and diplomacy during these years.

King Edward's training was of a nature which fitted into his personal
characteristics in this respect. His Royal mother had cultivated his
boyhood memory for faces and names most carefully; from the days of his
youth he was thoroughly conversant with many foreign languages; from his
coming of age he was in constant touch with the best of British and
European leaders. He had not reached maturity before experiencing the
difficulties of a tour of Canada and the United States in days when
there was no royal road mapped out by precedent for the management of
the tour and at a time when Orange and Green were in frequent conflict
in the British-American provinces and feelings of international
kindliness were not quite so strong in the United States as they were at
the close of his reign. In 1876 he had toured India amidst gorgeous
ceremonial and amid an infinite variety of racial and religious
occasions, or incidents, which only rare tact could successfully meet.
How much exercise there was of this Royal statecraft behind the scenes
during his nine years of sovereignty only the distant future can reveal
and then but partially. His S