"Good Morning, Bill"

The Princess and the Duke made their rounds of Washington without a serious breakdown in schedule, a mob scene, a sullen threat, or even a burst of Irish heckling. Partly this was due to the good manners of the capital's experienced parade watchers, and partly to the good management of a 175-lb. ex-cop, Bill Huskey, who carries the title of "special assistant to the chief, division of security, Department of State."

With a skill that comes from nine years of practice, Huskey began grappling with the schedule and security arrangements for the royal visit 2 1/2 months ago. First he was called in for a series of conferences with the royal advance agent, the ambassadors of Great Britain and Canada, and State's protocol experts. His was the voice that advised how much sightseeing could be accomplished in the time at hand, where the capital crowds would be thickest and where the risks would be greatest.

Just before the Princess and the Duke landed, Huskey's State Department agents, the cops and plainclothesmen of the metropolitan police inspected every foot of the excursion routes. At the Washington Cathedral, for example, Huskey paced off cathedral rooms all one morning to see precisely how much walking would fit into the royal schedule. One of Huskey's safety principles is to keep his wards in motion. With this precaution, he allowed Washington street crowds to get much closer to the Princess than Canadian crowds were allowed.

Throughout the week, Bill rode in the front seat of the royal limousine to make sure that his split-second timing worked. The first day he slid in beside the chauffeur there was no comment from the back seat. By the second morning, the Princess apparently had done some checking, piped up with a cheery "Good morning, Huskey." The third day, it was "Good morning, Bill." But Bill Huskey's greatest satisfaction was the wide-eyed amazement of the visiting Mounties and Scotland Yard at the thoroughness of his arrangements. Says Bill: "The Scotland-Yard guy and the Mounties were flabbergasted."

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