Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26th, 1918. BELGIUM'S GLORY.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 November 1918, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26th, 1918. BELGIUM'S GLORY.

An outstanding feature of tlie Great War was the greatness in the hour of peril of Belgium. Belgium ravished by the ruthless invader, might have been no less harmed than any other neutral had she chosen to bcu<t the knee and conform to the demands of Germany on the outbreak ol‘ war. 'Had Belgium done so, she too would have negatived treaty rights and bartered her nationhood for a price. As it was slio resolved to tread the way of national honour, stand by the written compact, and do as she would be done by. The passing penalty for this negation of German wishes was severe indeed. For electing to stand in the way of the German advance, Belgium had to submit to the horrors of war and to the indignities of the vanquished. But. in the submitting Germany was made to pay the price. The German colossus was held at Liege for five precious days—a period which was invaluable to the feverish preparations going on in Prance to resist the oncoming foe. The defence of Liege with its old fortifications against the modern gunnery of the well-prepared invader, was an epic of the war, and the glory of it all was to the great honour and credit of Belgium. But in turn Belgium had to pay an exacting toll for the respite gained Belgium towns were devastated, innocent., harmless people were put to a merciless death, their homes pillaged and devastated, almost the whole country over-run by the enemy and occupied for four years and more bv the Hunnisli taskmaster. Belgium was scattered and she suffered unheard of sorrows, and went through a period of severest travail. Yet. Belgium endured through it all and in the end, survived. Scattered though her people were the remnant of her Army held together

and in the little corner of Belgium uninvaded by the enemy, knit itself together and there, led by its stalwart King, continued to maintain tlie honor of Belgium on many a bloody battlefield. Along the Yser, at Dixmudo, and about Yprcs. and other now historic battlegrounds. the Belgians fought on and on and the Belgian Army remained in the field to see the day of victory. Yesterday the great King of the Belgians made his state entry into bis capital city, Brussels, and to-day the Belgian Parliament is to reassemble in its accustomed place, back again from the temporary quarters at Havre, which had been its sanctuary for the duration of the war. The emancipation of the Belgians from their dire extremities, the i-eoecnpation of their territory, after the complete defeat of the aggressive foe, must indeed be a great joy to a noble people, a great little nation, purified as it must be by the searching fires of war. It will bo difficult for us at a distance to measure the fullness of

their rejoicings. They have passed through ordeals which only those with a knowledge and experience of war through .a protracted period ) can at all appreciate. It is sufficient, if we hut faintly realise the fullness of their joy, for the whole degree of it is welldeserved—won as it has been by the courageous sacrifice of a glorious people. No monarch stands in a prouder position to-day than King Albert who took the field at the outset and has remained to lend his people hack to their country —wildly devastated though it he. The King and Queen of the Belgians must indeed he endeared to their people whose sorrows they share in the full, and now in the joys they are alike participating wifth regal right.