A French Army Guards Alfonso.

New York Times 100 years ago today, May 9, 1913:
Extraordinary Precautions to Protect the Spanish King During His Visit to Paris.
EVEN THE TREES SEARCHED
King at Review Vaults Over Railing and Sits on the Ground Instead of in His Gold Chair of State.
By Marconi Transatlantic Wireless Telegraph to The New York Times.
    PARIS, May 8.— A general topic of conversation is the extraordinary precautions taken to guard King Alfonso of Spain during his visit to this capital.
    All the 40 miles of the railway from Paris to Fontainebleau, where the King spent to-day in reviewing French troops, was lined with infantry. At dawn sentries were posted at intervals of 100 yards along the track, and they remained there until after the royal train returned at 5:30 P.M. Every bridge had a guard of ten men. A great white canvas camp of soldiers was established in the Forest of Fontainebleau, and during all the morning patrols searched the woods around the spot where the cavalry review was to take place, piercing every thicket with their long bayonets and looking up every tree to see that no anarchist was perched there with a bomb.
    A cordon of thousands of infantry with fixed bayonets, standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder, was posted round the square mile of forest in which the review was held, and squadrons of dragoons moved constantly up and down.
    The station at Fontainebleau was girded about with troops two hours before the King was to use it on his return journey, and infuriated Parisians had to stand a few yards away, watching their trains go out, behind an impassable hedge of bayonets.
    An elaborate stand, decorated with the royal colors of Spain, was built for the King on the Artillery Ground. From it he was to watch the firing. When the President and Ministers, all in solemn evening dress and silk hats, drew to one side to make way for him on his way to the purple and gold chair of state they were surprised to see him run briskly up the steps, vault over the front of the stand, and sit down on the bare ground, where he glued his eyes to his field-glasses, leaving his hosts to fill the splendors behind him.

    FONTAINEBLEAU, May 8.— King Alfonso, when he reviewed a large force of French cavalry and artillery here today, spoke to President Poincaré in such an approving manner of the magnificent Norman bay thoroughbred which had been provided for him as a mount that the President presented the horse to him.