Royal Route

If Europe's war fever does not rise again, June 7 will be historic. Shortly before midnight that day, on a train rolling over the international bridge below Niagara Falls, a King of England will enter the U. S. for the first time. For U. S. detectives, a day last week was historic. In the U. S. for the first time arrived the chief detective of Scotland Yard on active duty.

Robert Donald Fitch of the State Department was at the pier in Manhattan to meet square-chinned Chief Constable Albert Canning of what is properly called the Criminal Investigation Department. He is its first chief to have risen from the ranks. C. I. D.'s Canning proceeded inconspicuously to Washington to discuss with the Secret Service plans for the safety of George VI & Queen Elizabeth on an itinerary of some 1,500 miles with many ticklish spots in it.

Reporters will travel on a pilot train running ahead of the royal special nonstop from the border to Washington. President & Mrs. Roosevelt will meet Their Majesties at 11 a. m. at Union Station, where the State reception suite* is being redecorated with $16,000 of PWA money. At the White House, the diplomatic corps will be received before Their Majesties lunch privately with the Roosevelts. After lunch will follow Sir Ronald & Lady Lindsay's garden party at the British Embassy; that night, a state dinner and reception at the White House, where Their Majesties will sleep.

Next day the Roosevelts will show their guests Mount Vernon, going by water on the Potomac (lunch aboard). At Arlington, the King will wreathe the Unknown Soldier's grave. Dinner that night will be at the British Embassy, after which George & Elizabeth will go by train to Manhattan.

Manhattanites will be given a chance to shower ticker tape and torn-up telephone books on Their Majesties. At the New

York World's Fair their own Empire's exhibits will consume most of the visitors' time, to the exclusion of fun on the Midway. They must leave in time to motor to Hyde Park for dinner at Mother Roosevelt's. After a quiet weekend there, they will entrain for Canada to embark for home on the battle cruiser Repulse.*

Chief Constable Canning would not reveal how many of his own men he plans to deploy along his charges' route, but admitted the number was between ten and 20. "It's not like your Secret Service," he explained. "We have a couple of men near by, but we work chiefly in the crowds. I mean, there's where we have our men. We've found that is the most successful way."/-

*Five marble-floored rooms at the extreme east end of the station, with a private exit to motor cars. Three of the rooms are high-ceilinged salons with official seals, handsome paneling, mahogany & blue leather furniture. Two retiring rooms are fitted with new streamlined plumbing (light cream).

*Part of the British press last week deplored Their Majesties' decision to take the Repulse instead of a liner, because 1) the accommodations, though ingenious, are not too comfortable; 2) "We need all our warships here for the purpose of defense."

/-Secret Service tactics are to stick close to the President, watching rather than mingling with surrounding crowds.

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