THE NEW KING OF THE BELGIANS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 745, 18 February 1910, Page 8

THE NEW KING OF THE BELGIANS.

.;..;',;; vpm]s,ge/T^ 'Albert;' after''a ;'few.-w6rdsVo£'-{ eloquent; ;I-. andVthe (task which' Leopold .II was. called:'tfpqn-t0.., He.dwelt on ; the;,prodigies'.WsVlate/Majesfy.. constant/thought, of ■/enriohiiiß the'nation and' increasing:the,economic .resources of the country. >. HiS;' Majcsty/T'thanked 1 the,' foreign; GWTe'rnmehts; for ,their'',sympathy; saying; that" the. dispatch'; of ".their .special, 'missions.testifled;tb ;:'\'-^'.hefn]ommt,'w ; he':saj'i'."has'coni'e'for, Belgium;-.toi.thiuW.'.'of "her.: destiny V'aud to" is-; rich'.jand., happy.; .but',; riphes ■ :. create:' duties;-for : peoples;.as. for} individuals..The: are' enriching 'its prosperity/! We must ..continue ;in the..unshakable?, attachment !to.' constitutionf 1 ! liberty,'-.', I'qve •of ' inde- ■ pendence,'and'-the,'wise administration, of .public; aftaih. in'order to-maintain", our patrfmony while '/advancing to-; wards-.:the,;vpeaceful'>conquests 'of'; labour ; and. science. '?In' the "■'Congo"' the "natipu' wishes.;.a policy of, humanity and" progress. ; Theicolonising.mission. can • but ;be a mission; of high: civilisation.- Belgium 'i3''govHrned',;by,:instituti6ns"' : tKe'.jpTinciples. of,, which-.hflve/been'.'borrow'ed', by .other. States.-She hos v always. kept'her promises,, "and'.when.; she .Congo a.policy worthy.of'her 'no'one'.has ;the right to doubt • her.*word.'-.'The Throne, .has'-.-'prerogatiYM-, 1 ;; an^.'responsibilities;; The l Sovereign^pinst'be; the ser'yant-of 'the.' law,.an'd;tJ,e,;sunport'i3r'. / of.;;sbcial. peace;.; Ilove'my- country; and 'the'- Queen-' shares with .me the.unalterable'.jfeeling .of fidel-. ity'.t6, l ißelgium''which;-.we;are; inculcating in otii'j; children;''. Your "welcome, touches I...will.'endeayoflr.V.to;.deserve your;'confidence'.' :Before myself and' 'do ■.' my Fduty; .scrupulously.. arid;' to.; ':■ consecrate: all'my-strength?.a'nd ; life-to"the ser.' vice.' of ■ the-fatherland."'•;;?.. '.• " r v- '' vThe.:Sp_eech-^froiii;the;jThrono,-wa's r -.Te-.' ceive'd witb .constantland-prolonged .outbursts: "of '■■ cheering:)..The•■passages.:in,it' referring ;tq - the;. late work: ■ in Africa;:the-/duties "imposed., upon. peoples by- ;,wealth, 'and; - Belgia'n'.'constitutiona'l liberty, and'love of independence/were'received with;'special"enthusiasm; •■ is' were the "words'.'of -.thanks' :toj' v foreign Sovcr-. : ;.The.*:iWords> VBelnum.has ;alw.ays. kept.'/her, .promises,*;faiidf.Vnpnei.has".;;;the; 'ence-:.to'> thV'ettucatiott''.'of' the .'royal?' chil.'dr.en'. caused a'■terrificioutburst of'cheer-. ing.;', : :When.'the'-King:had;. : finished speak: insr'.'the-. audience,/standing 1 up: "shouted,: f 'Vive-. lel-Boil ■ > ;yiy'6rla:B6.ine.!;'/;;The So T > cialists to.. make;;;; aL.'connte'rde'monstration,' but their, voices' were lost; in-the,criesbf,enthusiam.;'r'; /"\ '■ ";>-. ; >.- .;. King-Albert J, ::who. succeeds; King.Leopold 11,--oh:; tho. Belgian, 'throne, iias.'-long. been..considered -as. theV.deaiest'hope of the Belgian",;monarchy.'' ;, : He" was' born; at Brussels/oh April'B, 1875;:.-His ; fathfcr;was ■the Cou'nt'of;Flanders,"bro.the'r..of th'e;late. King,' and';.his.;.mother,:'.the.'>Conntess- .'of Tlana'erSjt.is a Hbhenzolle;rh ; ..Princess.,:He raarried'.in''.l9oo :Princess .Elizabeth.' ?of : Bavaria* and 'there'. theoldest soi-'and-heir-apparent-beinginyhis-feighth. year.;';; The;: new. -King.'is.yery popu; lar.' Many ',pleasingVstones',..are related of I his. private- life, '■' in ywhich/.'there is'no-thing-.but"plain domestic, happiness.-; i -He lives 'in'-'a.-magnificeirt{.mansion; -in "the.; Qnartier.'leopold; arid; it "has: always .been his-;wish:'tb live as .simply; and os.quietly as possible; 5 ; King--.Albert-, underwent'.his' 'first training;'..'at;■■.tiw.v;Military'.School;'at; Brussels. .'■•Me.: was- a .;remarkably, ;clfe'ver: and /.patient, "student'':'- ahd'. ; .'liis; .simple demeanour- procured /him many-. friends. ther6. : ; When he toad-finished .his studies! he-.'invited ;ali. his,comrades'to. a.priyate: 'dinner;:-iri:the':.co'uTs'e'of., which 'he;delivered''ia'vVspM'ch,,'^ many'heartsv:; A' few;.years later,', during' 'some.(ribfevin'-!Biussels,;>the.board of;theMilitary/School';had .'ordered the- officers to. 'hold. themselyes. in! feadiries's.Jin ;the precincts-of the school.'-. Prince Albert went, to'.the- school: and; obeyed; the,order, like''all':the.;bther officers.'.jHe;entered the- ■ regular;army in; 18!)2,„as;siib:lieutehant,of ; .'the Brussels"Grenadiers::'- The. late. King, introduced his nephcw'.to;the whole'reginient, and "on. this occasion- 1 his- late Majesty ' delivered..'a.iremarkable speech on- the duties• of .an..,heir-appa'rent;'to■ the : throne :'VI ■" think that wo ■ Kings and Princes must be. the first ..to. do our ; duty, that: is. why -I bring; you; my For four years now King.Albert,has s been General;of. the;Bolgian Army,-and a great officer'-, of: the: National, Qrder -of Leopold. The'' new .has' lalways.-' shown. .himself'; veryftmuclvJinterested, in /'every problem:'rogardiiig-.the:,:ecbnomic expansion, of Belgium.'..'.Above' all else,. the new Belgian ruler is a studious,man;. He has travelled much/in' every'.country of Europej and on his majorib he made a long trip to tho;United. States.. Everywhere be did' nothing, but study the various' economic' problems/of. the" hour. -Ho. has'' often"given'public'lectures in Brusselslion"■: various' subjects'ir.'and 1 -'in• '.every one : he : has- a'.;well T 'balanced jiidgment'oh what, he: has seen.;.. His; Maje'stytakeS'great' interest :iri l "sp'orti.-;:Every year ho'-travels'-with his 'consort-'to:' Switzer-, -land/and' there does' a" good deal of climbing.' "Ho does .plenty, of motoring; and not long ago'lie made a flight in asteerable';;balioon'over. Antwerp.;;;;.-;