The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-14
.noBdencs al The WASHINGTON Hersld.


year the greatest event Of an eventful
season was the birth to Prince and Prin-
cess Albert Of Belgium of their first
daughter. To the joy of all. the baby's
birth took place in the height of the sea
son. It's coming had been eagerly
awaited. For a fun month the news was
expected every moment, and every strange
sound which was heard in the air was
taken to be made by the booming can
non which heraIds a royal birth Prac-
teal jOIers took advantage Of the peO-
pies expectancy, and a week before the
baby came, kilograms to the governor OF
the neighboring district Of Bruges an
nounced the safe arrival of q princess,
and brought forth showers Of c0ngratu-
Iatory addresses from high officials and
from civic bodies, as we'll as a preliminary
display Of rejOiclngs with their full &C
compartment Of bands and cannon, flags
and flowers.
Prince Albert Of Belgium, the baby's
father, though the father already OF two
sons as well as heir presumptive 10 the
Belgian throne, Is not free from bash
fulness on these occasions, and the pre-
mature congratulations confused him, but
the incident had no dampening effect on
the people; it only led wise women to
nod their heads and aver that the baby
would surely be q princess, for, they said,
every one knows a girl takes longer in
coming than a boy. As a matter of fact,
the good women Of Belgium wanted a
girl, for they were convinced that their
friend. the princess. wanted One-had she
not two boys already?-and they would
have been hugely disappointed had she
falsided their predictions and presented
them with another baby prince instead.
As It was they were as hugely delighted
when what they foretold came to pass
at last
Event Announced by Post Cards.
Not one had doubted how It would be-
The baby was born At in the morning.
by breakfast time (and people breakfast
at dawn in Belgium) the hawkers on the
Ostend plague were selling post cards
with pictures on them OF the infant
shown in its nurses arms on that same
plague Dispatch could not have been
I.ore happily joined to intelligent antici-
patton.
The wife Of the Belgian heir loves
quietness, but she does not resent the
watch which the people keep on her most
intimate affairs There is no such thing
as prying where a princess in the direct
line Of throne is concerned. and thrones
have been lost and countries plunged into
war before now because events were
surrounded with privacy. when state Gus
tom and policy ordained there should be
none. Statecraft. however. had little to
say 10 the public interest in the newest
royal birth: the two sons already born to
the baby's parents rendered the coming
Of d third child a matter OF small pOliti-
cal Importance: il was the popular affec-
ton for the babys mother which made
the coming OF the little princess such 4
great event
Princess Mother Greatly Loved.
The baby's mother has long ago won
herself into the hearts of the women of
Belgium by her gentle womanIiness. by
what I'm days to come viii be known as
her motherliness, but which has not yet
come 10 be so called because somehow
her small. youthful personality makes her
appear more in the light of very kind,
marvelously unselfish, and deeply re-
sourceful sister, a young sister whose
wisdom and sagacity causes her to take
and fill a place fitting for one older than
herself. rather than in that of an august
royal mother. All the women Of the poor
d er classes know that Princess Elizabeth.
as they call her-using her own name,
which to them seems more personal than
her official title-is the daughter of a great
doctor. They believe, not unjustifably,
that with her fathers kindness she has
inherited some Of her fathers learned
magic, and they accept, with her help,
her advice on reconcile matters regarding
infants care. but all the time. even when
they listen with awe to her instructions,
there is found something OF a protecting
spirit mixed with their affection. They do
not call her so, but they figure her to
themselves IN their minds as their little
princess, the kind and wise motherly lit
tie princess whom they so love to think
of with a little baby girl Of her own In
addition 70 her two fine boys.
Now the desire Of princess. and people is
gratifled, and the royal household has set
tied down again TO its customary routine.
Before that was possible there had. of
course, TO be a great official pother over
the christening of the baby. Ministers Of
state had TO be attendant on its birth
nominally within sight and call, but only
nommalIy in these days.. and special train
loads of other ministers had to come for
The registration OF the event.
Registration Difficulties.
For that registration itself difficulties
had 70 be COPIED with which kept the Off
Gals at OstenG. great and small awake
and troubled for a full week beforehand,
while the newspapers chronicled their per-
piexity. Every baby's birth must be reg
istered In a book of special FORM kept in
the record Office Of the commune All
men, even when babies. are equal before
the eyes of the Belgian law. and this
baby had TO be registered in the same
book as the other babies of the commune.
IN It's proper place among the others.
properly described as "a baby of the
feminine sex and with the proper name
and description Of its father added. he
signing the record as witness Of its cor
rectness.
About the signing there was no diff
Guilty. Royal persons are so mighty that
they sign their Christian names alone.
as Il. even among royalties. there were
no other "Alberts'' or Georges or I'd
wards than eacn particular one of them.
Therefore. Prince Albert signed ALBERT, 4"
and his signature took up less room than
that of any fisherman who, ike him, was
made a happy father that day: but If
princes parade simplicity in the signing
OF their names, there is no such simplicity
about their titles and the long list of IL
ties OF Prince Albert, with that of his
decoration from the Golden Fleece Of
Spain 70 the Double Dragon Of China.
would alone more than I'LL the burgomas-
ter's book and yet all had 10 be fitted
into the book.
Not a man. official or journalist, was