Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-17
Despite Irregularities
of Private Life Leopold
Proved a Good Ruler.

King Leopold was the ruler of Bel
GUM since the death of his father. who
was King Leopold l., on Dec. 10, 1865.
In spite of the open and glaring irreg-
ularities of his private life, the king
of the Belgians was a successful adj
ministrator of his little realm.
He set up the policy of England us
! the model for Belgium; and from the
moment he became ruler he never
ceased to urge the doctrine of coloni-
cation and extension of trade, through
a merchant marine and through send
to all parts of the world This coun-
try is known as the Laboratory of Eu-
rope"
First to Build Railways.
Belgium was the first country m
Europe to build railways, and the king
urged their prolOngation to connect
with the merchant marine between Ant
werp and the Congo. In the early
years OF his reign he devoted much
attention to municipal improvements,
and Brussels, Client, Antwerp, Namur
Mons, Liege, Charleroi, and Verviers
bear testimony to his activity in this
respect.
In 1886 Belgium was on the verge
of an overturning which would have
swept the monarch from his throne and
the monarchy out Of existence. 1t was
a delicate situation and called for the
utmost diplomacy and skill. That Leo
pold was equal to the occasion sur
prised nobody that knew his fine pow
er as a statesman and prince.
Adhered to HIS Promises.
Not once did the king oppose the
radicals He appeared to float with
the tide of revolution. He yielded pro-
excessively to the demands for reform,
made promises which he knew would
disarm the more radical element and
leave them powerless with the people.
And more than all the rest, he kept his
contracts. He insistently fought the
conservative parliament and in the end
forced it to surrender to the people an
equitable measure of power From
that day forward the throne was
strengthened and Leopold became
favorite with the people.
Born in 1885.
The king was born in Brussels on
April 9, 1885, and on Aug. %, 1853, he
married the Archduchess Marie of Au-
stria, who died in 1902. Four children
were born to them-a son, the duke of
Brabant, who died in January, 1869, at
the age of 10, and three daughters.
The eldest of these, Princess Louise,
was born in 1858 and married to
Prince Philip of SaXe-Coburg-Gotha
The second daughter. Stephanie. who
was born in 1864, was married to
Prince Rudolph. the only son of the
Austrian emperor, since the death of
whom in 1889 she caused almost as
much scandal in Europe as her father
The third daughter is the Princess
Clementine
Long Career of GaIIantry.
Leopold's career of gallantry dates
back to the days of Cora Pearl, whose
adventures amused Europe in the mid
die of the last century The women
involved since then range from ladies
of his court to music hall performers.
One was Clara Ward, princess de Chi
may. the American woman whose
elopement from Brussels with the gyp-
sy musician. Rigo, was a scandal a de-
cade ago. She is said to have first
lost caste in Belgian society through
the kings indiscreet attentions to her.
Then there was Mile Cleo de Merode,
the Partisan danseuse. who wore her
hair over her ears, and who made a
brief visit to New York in 1897. The
acquaintance with the king boosted
Cleo at once into fame and fortune.
There were stories of Leopold's w.
ing hidden in Swiss chalet for weeks
while his ministers were anxiously
seeking him to consult him on affairs
of state. There is the story of a sup
per party he gave in Paris to ten Choir
US girls of the Opera Comique, at the