The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-09-27
BELGIUM WILL COME
BACK INTO HER OWN
And Claim Her Place in the Sun, Declares
Baron Beyens, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, in Statement to As
ISOLATED Press.

Havre, France, Sept 27.-"Belgium
will come back to her own, to her place III
the sun, and to complete freedom and in
dependence" said Baron Beyens, minis
ter of foreign affairs of Belgium, in the
course of an authorized interview given
to the Associated Press.
Baron Beyens is one of the notable
figures of the present war, for up to the
beginning of the war ne was the Belgian
minister at Berlin and went through the
crisis eliminating in the first blow at
Belgium and the immediate entry OF
England. France, and all Europe into the
seething struggle. Then, leaving Der.
lin, he entered the Belgian cabinet and
has since directed the foreign affairs OF
the country, finding time also to write
book which graphically describes 'the
week of tragedy" at the German capital
when the British and French ambassa'
dor and himself made their last attempts
to prevent the European conflict.
The minister of foreign affairs, where
Baron Beyens was seen, Is installed at
Ste Adresse, suburb of Havre, in the
Villa Hollandais, a rustic chalet occupied
in ordinary times by seashore visitors
but now bearing on the outer gate a
small placard reading minister des
Afraires Estrangeres de Belgique." A
foreign Office usually suggests marble
halls and big diplomatic rooms with am
bassadors sitting among oil paintings and
mahogany furnishings But the Villa
Hollandais has nothing of this kind
Three small pine structures have been
nut ND in the gardens for various dip
iomatic and consular branches. Inside
the villa there is the simplicity of a sum
mer cottage, but everything is scrupu-
louslv well done and effective.
Baron Beyens expressed at the outset
the deep sense of appreciation felt by
Belgium toward the people OF the United
States, and, in particular toward those
who had directed the work of sending
food supplies to Belgium.
81 am always glad to meet an Amer
ican," he said, "and to express my graft
tude to your people in general and to
those who have literally saved our peo-
ple from starvation 1t is difficult for
me to say how much we feel indebted
to Mr.. Hooverti, head of the committee
directing the relief work of Belgium.
He has proved himself man of great
resource and great ability in the gigantic
task of providing for a whole nation
which found itself suddenly threatened
with starvation or at least with cruel
privation II was a task, moreover. re-
curing much diplomatic tact as well as
business knowledge, for tho relief commit
tee was obliged to deal between the Ger
man officials on the one hand and the al
lied officials on the other. But all this
has been accomplished with infinite skill
obstacles which seemed at times nsur-
mountable have been overcome, and prac-
teal results have been realized which
are Of the highest Importance to Belgium
and the Belgian people.
''The American minister OF Brussels,
Mr.. Whitlock. has also won our unbound
ed admiration and respect in performing
a work OF colossal magnitude under most
irving conditions Remaining at BTus-
sells while the government was con
strained BY circumstances t. establish It
self temporarily outside of Belgium, the
American minister has been, with his
courageous Spanish colleagues. the bull
wark between our citizens remaining II
the invaded regions. and the German nil
itarv and civil authorities temporarily
in control Outside OF the horrors and
atrocities Of war which have been CON-
mitted. the ordinary administration Of
civil affairs has been carried out with
an iron hand and with rigorous harsh