The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-10-03
ADVERTISING RATES.
A VISIT FROM The
KING OF BELGIUM.
A Progressive Cid Monarch Is the
Man Who Comes TO America to
Study Our Laws and Customs. :

man VINO comes 10 America 10
Study Our Laws and Customs.
Leopold. King OF Belgium. is certain-
ly coming to this country:
II rumor can be believed!
If Mrs. Potter Palmer's invitation will
bring him
II he is as alarmed as he Is said to
be over the recent attempts upon his
life
II he Is as run down" as the Bel
gians think and as much In need of
rest
II the great Belgian Expedition to
advertise Belgian products visits this
country
Ii he sants to come!
Any and all of these things may con-
tribute to bring about the long expected
visit of the King of Belgium.
Not rich King. Leopold has kept in
the public eye for many reasons.
He is over sixty-six years old. yet
acts like a young man.
He takes gay Views of life. and visits
Paris, not on state missions. but TO
have fun.
lie is the owner of the handsomest
hands in Europe.
He has great political ability and
was virtually the creator of the Congo
Free State.
lie Is peaceful. broad minded and
ontented, "a striking contrast to many
# the other Kings of Europe
Ills PERSONALITY.
The King of the RelgIans has passed
his sixty sixth year. but he is stlll tall,
slim and remarkably handsome with
broad forehead. delicate, straight
nose. Tong, fun beard. turning gray.
and he habitually wears single glass
In his eye.
The slight stiffness In one of his legs,
which causes him to drag the limb
little does not amount to lameuess nor
Ices ii detract from the dignity of his
appearance His conversation Is quiet
and self contained. on official oeca-
sions, ceremonies. banquets, inaugara=
tons. etc. when called upon to make
speech. he expresses himself with ease,
and often with singular felicity.
During the summer he pays frequent
visits to 0stend The King has exer-
Used his architectural and engineering
tastes in improving and embeilishing
this seaside place He has done much
for the town and it's buildings, laid out
d fine park, and fought perseveringly
and successfully against the obstacles
which the climate and the barren,
sandy soil place in the way Of foliage
and vegetation
Daily he IL seen walking on the beach
in the now legendary long frock coat
and straw hats, occasionally picking up
a shell. and smiling at the children
similarly engaged lie frequently mikes
with the people in the harbor, talking
Familiarity with them. and on his return
to the palace quotes some OF the senti-
ments he has heard.
one day he addressed a poor woman
whose husband had barely escaped
drowning In sight Of land a short time
before She garrulously related the
whole scene. the danger. the rough sea-
the breakers at last washing the boat
in shore instead OF swapping It. How
alarmed you must have been" said the
King, sympathzingly. All, monsieur"
answered the woman. Il felt as II all
the sea was entering into me.
Leopold II. having at an times been
deeply Interested In the social and labor
questions, has taken pains to master
by personal observation, knowledge
Of the wants and desires Of the work.
fng classes in country of unequal for
tunes and crowded population.
lie has strongly advocated the estab.
E-hment of an asylum. a retreat for
workers when accident or age incapaci-
tated them for further toll; he repeat
edly visited England with the object OF
investigating similar organizations In
tia It country. and when 1t wsn proposed
Ia celebrate the twenty-iifth anniver-
sary of his reign by magnificent festivl-
ties he earnestly begged that the latter
should be on a much more moderate
scale and the surplus of the gladly
subscribed jubilee fund devoted to this
cause
The Kings task as ruler has always
been q delicate and far from easy one.
The deep-rooted Internal Emergencies
In the nation over which he rules made
1t imperative on him to preserve the
strictest neutrality. Even the neutral
ity of language Is difficult to observe In
a small kingdom with many dialects.
all claiming to be national. The south.
or Walloons. speaks French: the north
which is Flemish, talks the old tongue
of Dutch Flanders: each province IL
anxious that its own dialect should be
spoken and taught in schools. used in
public prociamations and documents;
when the King unveiled a statue al
Bruges with a French speech the press
abused him. the fact was that he did
not know Flemish, but since then the
Queen Is steadily improving herself In
that language. under the tuition Of two
lady readers residing at the palace. SC
al TO be prepared when she travels In
Flanders.
Last but not least. comes the great
International neutrality. which is
primordial condition Of the existence OF
Belgium as an independent state. The
King instinctively loves France: he is
the son of a French mother. the grand
son Of Marie Amelie. Louis PhilIppes
Queen but. were his sympathies not In
that quarter he would not influence
those Of Belgium In favor of Germany
The nation Itself Is French by its
habits. tongue, press and theaters, and.
if IL is perfectly willing to entertain
amicable relations with powerful
neighbor. it would as certainly refuse
to side with Germany. should a conflict
occur
There is no other sovereign who has
travelled SO widely or who has made
such constant use Of his own observa-
tons Of what is going on in the world
outside Of his own domnions. He at
tributes his own success as ruler to
his experience as a travelled man who
is familiar with life in nearly all civil
zed countries He has impressed upon
his nephew. Prince Albert, who is heir
to the throne. the necessity for acquir-
ing similar stock of practical knowl-
edge through travel
This Is his idea of the proper method
Of completing the education Of prince
who is destined to occupy throne and
to direct the fortunes Of an Industrial
nation.