The Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1917. THE SPIRIT OF BELGIUM.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1665, 23 January 1917, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1917. THE SPIRIT OF BELGIUM.

ON tiie occasion of the birthday of King Albert, the Belgian Cabinet addressed the following telegram to His Majesty:—“For the third time in the course of the long and stubborn struggle between the soldier defenders of the right and the German armies, the instrument of conquest and oppression, the members of the Belgian Government .offer to Your Majesty on the occasion of your fete the homage of their faithful and respectful devotion. They affirm their warmest admiration for the Sovereign who for over two years has awaited with unshakable courage for the dawn of deliverance at length to rise. The 2>resent hour is for our unhappy country deeply tilled with anguish. As the war is prolonged, the occupation of the foreigner becomes from day to day more cruel. After the imposition of crushing taxes, after arbitrary condemnations and inflictions of the capital penalty, the German military authorities are now deporting huge numbers of able-bodied citizens, hunting them pitilessly in town and country, driving them afar, like cattle, to deliver them to forced labour. This barbarous fashion of demonstrating to the Flemish race how false were the protestations of protecting its vitality and its rights has with insolent hypocracy been placarded by the civil governor on the walls. The attack now made on the liberty of Belgian citizens has swiftly given the lie to the false promises of the enemy. Like the King himself, the Government suffers deeply at each fresh news of the wounds indicted on our land, but, despite the bitter martyrdom, it is steadfast in its certitude of an avenging victory as it is confident in the indestructible future of Belgium, and sees shining in the sombre night which now envelopes them the brilliant destinies of the land.”