The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-01-05
ElROpE"S ONE HEROIC KING.
-Al1ert IF Belgium. Who i One With
Ills People in Their Troubles.
&illiam Philip Shines in the Kansas
City Star

ing through t'e drizzle. The man who
will probably come out ~ his war
with the most lasting reputation OF
amy engaged in it: King Albert Il
Belgium. Fresh from the trenches
where he had >corned death and
patted his fighting soldiers on The
shoulders. with the cheers Of his en-
thusiastic men in his ears. his long.
rather English face wore the express
sion If one who had suffered a great
deal and who vas ennohled by hi.
suffering.
| have seen many pictures OF Christ
on the cross, some done by masters.
and In each | have seen about the
eyes an effort at just the same ex-
preston which | caught in The eyes
of the Belgian king.
There is something of patience in
ii, something of pity. much suffering
but nothing mean. The kings small
blonde muStache emphasizes the eN-
preston especially As 1t curves about
g mouth OF rather graceful lines and
more adapted to tenderness n to
the harsher emotions. Yet war and
soldering have left their stamp upor
his strangely melancholy face and
there Is something p~aradoIXical about
it, something which bellies the gentle
patience one sees in the eyes. one
reads determination, proud resent
ment, an absence or fear.
King Albert is the most popular OF.
ticer in the army. The soldiers ~ the
trenches say so and hey are not given
to t1attery just now. For instance.
one soldier told me that the average
Belgian officer is d 'parlor Officer
at his best on dress parade-yet this
same man also told me there was not
a man in the army who would NOT
die tor King Albert. Nor is il blind
devotion to a mysterious his ma
jesty'' about whom the common peo-
Mo 1-yonuy 1;f1lA ![ipo h1havt - 1n,-.I
because he Is known rather than be-
cause he isn't.
Most Of our officers said a soil
der TO me-a soldier who had been
through LieSe, Charleroi, Brussels,
Antwerp and OStend and of whose
regiment only 800 were left-"have
to be approached with KID gloves on"
But the soldiers are unanimous thaE
the king is most democratic. He does
not wait for his men to come to him..
He goes to his men. He tries to under-
: stand them; he goes everywhere, un-
: accompanied, dressed in one of the
plainest uniforms. and addresses his
soldiers as comrades rather than az
2 subjects.
, One day" a grenadier told me with
: q certain pride betraying ITSELF in his
! voice, I'VE were sitting by the road
J side eating our Iirst meal of the day,
which happened TO be dinner. We
: had been holding the Germans in
n check since daylight and were tired
} and hungry. All we had to eat. how
ever, was very dry bread. The king
rode up alone and when he saw what
n we were eating tears came in his
eyes. I on think 1 ever saw 4 man
t look so sad before.
"tMy poor comrades he said. Shak-
e ing his head. Just dry bread.
5 1t tasted mighty good to u.s. said
e a soldier next to me.
You're right" replied the king.
q There are worse things to eat than
II dry bread, for honor's sake
What he said and the way he said
it sounded like something from the
v Bible,' the grenadier continued. mo
body said a word. Nobody shouted
Long live the king Of anything like
that. Only the man who had said the
It dry bread tasted good, walked up and
held out his hand. The king took i;
quickly and shook it hard. The ma
fell back Wiping his eyes. Then ,ne
whoic group crowded around and
shook the kings hand. He seemed
= happier as he rode away.
L. "'Belgium cannot die so long q:
!. she has men like you he said.
>. Nor when she's got a king like
you every body shouted.
:, TIL king turned and waved hi,
- hand to us just as he would have don
f to the highest gentleman in the land
10 Then we all shouted:
~ "'Vive le Roi.'"
This is a typical story one hear
while mingjing with the Belgian sol
diers. ! understand that the h.uS Ia
shown his disfavOr to more than on,
officer because Of lack of interest il
the soldiers in their command. Il
H. Antwerp, the soldiers told me that tn
rs king often visited cafes alone and sen
he to their quarters officers he foun'
he drinking there.
er Poor, tired and suffering Belgium
Much hiOCor kino3nmc 1,ara no,
he much smaller kings. king Albert
M face is the saddest I ever saw. bu
We the sadness pictured there is not be
as cause he has lost, at least, temporar
at lily, his country-it is because Of n
to battered and tattered army, his eAii
lL$ L. IL