The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-09-04
KING ALBERT ASTORISRES
WORLD BY WAR RECORD

The brilliant soldierly record of
King Albert IF the .Belgians in this
war has astonlshed the world as much
as has the bravery of the Begians
who defended Liege so valorousy
against the Germans. a month ago
neither the Belgian army nor the king
had any particular reputation as fight
ers. n
The world knew little of King AL
bert. His father, King Leopold, was
almost always in the Ilmelight for one
cause or another, but Albert has liv-
ed rather quietly.
Belgium has belonged to the Bel
gians since 1880, when the people car
ried out a successful revolution against
Holland, by whom they had been rul-
ed.
When the country was invaded by
, Napoleon l. on one side and by Eng
land and Germany on the other for the
battle Of Waterloo in 1915, the people
did not defend their country. There
was no cry of neutrality being violat-
ed The difference is now that the
Belgians are fighting for their own.
King Albert does not belong To them
by any bond of blood. He is the grand
son OF the first king of the Belgians,
n German Prince of Sake Coburg- Co
| tina, who was invited to rule as Leo
pold l. His sovereignty lasted for
thirty-four years and that of his son,
Leopold IL, lasted for forty-four years.
King Albert assembled the throne in
1909.
The king and Queen Elizabeth have
had to sacrifice their nearest and dear
est family ties to remain loyal to Bel
gium during the war Both are as
German as centuries of German blood
can make them. The queen, who is
the daughter of Duke Carl Theodore
OF Bavaria, one of the most celebrat-
ed eye specialists Of his generation, is
the namesake and god daughter of her
aunt, the murdered Empress Elizabeth
OF Austria, who was assassinated at
| Geneva. She up To now maintained
the most cordial relations with her
aged uncle, Emperor Francis Joseph
Of Austria Hungary.
A., King Albert, on his side, has many
| ties I'm Germany His mother was
Princess Marie of Hohenzollern, of the
| family OF the kaiser His sister is the
wife OF Prince Charles of Hohenzol-
| Tern, n kinsman of the kaiser who
! lives i'm Berlin and is helping the Ger
mans plan the control of Belgium.
| King Albert's most intimate friends
have been the German Crown Prince,
and the other sons of the kaiser.
The king has been with his soldiers
in the field since he gave his defiant
reply to the kaisers demand to give
German troops free passage through
his country. The royal palace at Lac
ken. where King Leopold spent a large
fortune on the gardens alone, has been
turned over To the Red Cross in which
the queen herself has been enrolled.
She Is a regular graduate nurse and
holds Doctors certificate, also. King
Albert is 80 years old and Queen Eliz-
abeth year younger.
Known to Americans.
Many Americans nave met the klnB.
He spent several months in this coun-
try sixteen years ago.
He had dinner in Washington with
President Mckinley, vas entertained
at Newport by Mrs. Potter Palmer and
spent considerable time in New York.
In st. Louis he spent three days in
| cognto at a hotel as John Banks"
New York.
He has n private fortune of some
twenty-odd millions besides n suffi
ciently liberal grant made by the Bel
gian government.
lie and Queen Elizabeth did not
have any formal coronation such as
other sovereigns have, following the
example. Of Leopold Al, whQ gave TO
the people the large sum, many thou