New-York tribune., 1899-01-15
THE BELGIAN KING.
HIS SUCCESS IN DIRECTING THE FORT
UNES OF FEEBLE LITTLE STATE
FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC
POLICIES.
Bruges. December IS. 1898

| POLICIES.
Bruges December 2S 1898
A Belgian Of distinction said to me in Brus-
sells: Il a Republican in politics. and be-
leve in equal rights and democratic institu-
| tions but the King of our country Is President
good enough for me. Under the present mon
arch we have all the advantages Of popular
government as It is known in America and we
are spared the inconvenience and excitement
| Of a Presidential election. The King is the
wisest and most enlightened ruler on the Con-
tinent." The Belgians are a sluggish people
slow to take fire. and cold and stoIid in express
/ ing their sympathies and appreciation: but King
Leopold II is respected and honored by them as
far-sighted. capable sovereign. whose judg-
ment in public affairs is superior to that Of his
| Ministers. Like the Dutch people. they are
jealous Of their Independence. and are con-
vinced that the day for little Kingdoms has not
passed The King Is a discreet neutral who has
never excited the resentment of any powerful
nation court on the Continent; but he has
steadily magnified the influence Of his own
petty realm and increased its resources for play
| ing a great part in the worlds affairs.
| King Leopold II has known many sorrows
during his reign. His favorte sister. Carotta.
| lost her reason after the death of her husband.
the ill-starred Maximilian. in Mexico. His
daughter Princess Stephanie. had, an. equally
tragic experience the wife Of the Archduke
Rudolf His only son died at the age Of ten.
His own marriage with an Austrian Arch
duchess has not been 4 congeniai and happy
one, according TO common repute The King
has been forced by domestic arrangements and
calamties to interest himself in the affairs Ok
his kingdom. Simple and democratic in his
tastes. he has been the least ceremonious and
most approachabe Of sovereiGns. Himself
most intelligent traveller. with keen powers or
observation and a reml lrkabie faculty for digest
ing information he has received at his Court
men OF action, merchants and explorers. who
have opened the Congo Free State as Belgian
Empire under international auspices. man
OF many talents. he has chosen as his intimate
associates engineers architects. landscape gar
deners and capitalists who can help him in
beautifying his capital and improving the chief
cities Of Belgium. For the details Of Court
etiquette and ceremonial he has neither leisure
nor inclination; but he is in touch with the
most capable and progressive men among h.s
subjects. and generally he is a long way in ad-
vance Of them. Ministers and burghers begin
by rejecting his projects mpracticable. and
end by accepting them as enlightened and neces-
! sary.
THE CONGO INDEPENDENT STATE
Mr.. Courtney has recently sought to demon
strate before the Royal Statistical Society Of
London that the greatest Of the Kings projects
the Congo Independent State. has been com
mercial failure so far as the home country IS
concerned He made his point by laying stress
upon the insignifcance Of the Congo trade III
comnarison with the aggregate commerce Of
f~aF
under pledge that it should remain neutral
ground and free to the trade Of all nations; and
while an international conference has author
lied the levying OF tariff. there is an open
door and there are no exclusive privileges for
Belgian trade. The commercial advantages
cannot be great when there are not fifteen hun
dred Europeans in the Independent State with its
area Of nine hundred thousand miles; but the
possession OF this empire with its millions Of
Bantu subjects irnparts dignity and conse-
quence to the Belgian Kingdom The Congo
state is an Offset to the colonial empire Of the
Netherlands. Without it Belgium would be in
serior in power and resources to its maritime
neighbor and Of little Importance as a Euro
pean State. The King has been wiser than
either his Ministers or his subjects in persisting
in unfolding this policy OF imperial expansion.
In the Netherlands the principle OF universal
conscription has recently been introduced. ana
the military system has been considerably en-
Iarged The Belgian standing army Is aso
formed by conscription and has noHinal
strength OF ffty-one thousand officers ana men
This force would be speedily oyerWhelmed Il
either the German or the French army were
flung across the frontier in defiance or Euro
mean treaty law. The King is interested IN
naval progress rather than in military arnla-
ments. He knows that Belgium Is country