Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-18
BELGIANS, IN CITY,
AREPLEASED WITH
PRESIDENT WILSON
Representatives Who Bore
Protest From King Albert
Visit independence Hall.
Statement Expresses Craft
hcation.

The Belgian Commission, which, in the
,ame of the King and people Of Belgium
anne to this country to lay before the
resident OF the United States and the
Nmerican public a protest against the
collation. of the neutrality Of Belgium by
GERMANY and the alleged atrocities OF
he German army, came to Philadelphia
oday to lay the same protest before the
brine of American liberty
The commissioners left Washington
early this morning and arrived at Broad
Street Station early in the afternoon.
They were met at Broad street Station
by NJ. Paul Hagemans, OF OVerbrook'
Belgian Consul in this city, and A. s.
Anderson, an attache of the consulate.
They we're taken to the Bellevue-strat-
ford for lunch. after which they went
In an automobile on a sight seeing trip
through the city, which included visit
to Independence Hall, Carpenters Hail,
historic points in Germantown and other
places of interest. They will leave for
New York tonight.
In the party, which was headed by the
chairman of the commission, NJ. Carton
de Wharf, Minister of Justice, were M
Paul Hymans, Minister Of State; M. Louis
de Sadeleer, Speaker of the Belgian Far
Lament; NJ. Emil Vandervelde, Minister OF
State, and Count de Lichtervelde, secre-
tary to Baron de Broqueville, Prime Min
lister OF Belgium.
The commissioners issued the following
statement before leaving the Bellevue
Stratford
1--WE are more than gratifed with the
reception rendered to the members of the
Belgian Commission by the President of
the United States.
"The stirring sentiments of respect eX-
pressed by him for our King, and the
warm friendship and admiration for our
nation will, be have no doubt, be CRATE
fully received In Belgium and the coun-
try, in the midst of its present atflction,
cannot help being comforted by the heart
felt sympathy of the American people.
1--WE were not unprepared for the atti-
tuie Of neutrality adopted by the United
States in the present European crisis.
and the President, in his reply insisted
upon this neutrality. Nobody can better
than ourselves understand the duties OF
neutrality that we are at present suf-
fering.
Owe handed to the President of the
United States the proceedings of the in
quiry and which prove the atrocities COM
mitted by German troops from the begin
ming of the invasion of our territory.
There cannot be found In these documents
any more than in our minds. a precon-
ceived idea: we realize that war Is essen
tally a cruel thing: but we cannot believe
that conventions. regulating the laws and
customs OF warfare between civilized peo-
pies can be considered as scrap of pa
per- of no value.
"As to the destruction of Louvain, Mr..
BOnar Law has justly said that this crime
puts an indelible spot on the honor of
the GermanIc race, and Mr.. Asquith, the
Prime Minister of Great Britain. justly
declared that this was the greatest crime
committed against civilization and culture
since the Thirty Years War
ut is not without the utmost surprise
therefore. that we read in America, in
The Independent an article signed by
the German Ambassador, Count Won Barns
dorff. which article advances for the de-
struction of Louvain an explanation
which nobody, to our knowledge, had
hitherto thought of in Europe. If We
were to take his word for ii, Belgian
priests in Louvain had distributed among
the populatlon arms, lncitlHB lhe clVlllafs
to use them against German troops. This
explanation is of the dime-novel variety,
and seems to have been inspired by
"reminiscences of the famous 'Benedic-
ton OF the Swords scene from Meyer
beers 'Huguenots.' 1t would have been
discrecter, after having committed a mis-
take of such magnitude. not to attempt
to shield 1t by such puerile explanations,
which their authors-we are certain-can-
not in any way prove.
Unparalleled in history, Is this crime.
since the crime of Caliph Omar, who de-
stroyed the library of Alexandria, and in
this Goth century we are 10th TO believe in
the destruction-wit any eNcuse-of
museum of thoughts and of human intel
ligence.'