New-York tribune., 1897-08-22

be chosen TO act as umpire In any controversy
in which Japan is concerned. Among the "u
merous commercial industrial and hnanciai en-
terpriscs in which Leopold Is Interested as pm
cipal stockholder and moving spirit Is TIC He"
Japanese Belgian Trading Company whlch - -
sufficient importance to have inaugurateu "''"'"
the last few months a fortnightly line oi s'e
ers Of large tonnage between Aht"elP on.
Yokohama. Not only the company itseii w"
likewise the steamship line are heaVhy sup'e"
toned by the Mikado's Government, Which n''
also accorded to the concern speciai iacii'''0S
and favors in connection with tariff rates ana
state contracts With that keen eye TOT the mann
chanco which DISTINGUISHES Leopold, it natu-
rally follows that he Is prejudiced in favor OF
his Jananese friends and anxious to show hih-
self annreciatiyc in every possible way OF their
IiberaIitv toward the company in which ne Is
so largely interested. Indeed when the MiKado
mother died last spring he was the only 'ioi-
arch in Christendom who went out OF MS way
to order a fortnight of court mourning lor 'he
dead Empress.
Moreover Leopolds personal reputation anu
private character such that no pus'heS'
houses would ever dream Of invoking his services
as an arbitrator, just as little as the Noo'''
Club at Brussels. would think OF SUBMITTING ~
him for decision any question OF ho"'' "
chivaIrv The aristocracy Of Belgium cannot
forgive forget the manner in when ne ''ea'o'
the two Counts Of Cunchy in the transaction
smacking of Naboth's vineyard by means y,
which he obtained their acres in order to round
off the park Of his beautiful country seat Vi
Ciergnon. Sharp practice is the mildest express
| sion that can be used in describing the a1ah'
and the lawsuit which the two Counts nsu-
| IA
iecting him to so much popular odium and abuse
| that he must sometimes have asked hihiSei
| whether or not the 2O00O0 or 3,0OO.On francs
| tn the extent of which he got the best OF ths
| plaintiffs were after all. worth all the OD'oquy
| which he incurred In his industrial, CONNER
! cial and stock exchange dealings Leopold mani
| tests a desire to be considered as astute ana
smart. rather than as kingly. and. although II
| cannot be denied that he is one OF the MOST
! shrcwd and long headed mOnarchs in Chils'e"-
dom. vet curiously enough, he has been sngu-
| larlv uniucky in the majority of his ventures
| differing in this respect from King George ol
! Greece and King oscar of Sweden, both OF
whom asce cendcd their thrones as poor men, anu
are now enormously wealthy.
| Ieopo,d's constant ill-luct and consequent
financial necessities have frequently driven MN
into the arms of financiers by no means OF good
standing since the Rothschilds closed their
doors against him, and some of his ASSOCIATIONS
have in consequence been of an exceedingly
extraordinary character. notably his intimacy
with the late Colonel" North, the so-called
"Nitrate King" a man of the most appalling
vulgaritv who was nevertheless permitted by
Leopold TO pat him on the back, and to invite
a very mixed party Of his own city friends in
London to stay for week the Kings guests
at Ciergnon during the shooting season, the
Colonel prac acticay doing the honors and oliiciat-