The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-09-10
WARM WELCOME
GREETS MERGER
ON HIS ARRIVAL
Famous Cardinal of Belgium
Lands at New York
is HUN-DEFYING PRELATE
win Visit cardIr bseo,ebons in saltl-
more Few Di 1t Scuring
Voatos,. sosiSes,

New York, Sept. 9.-Cardinal
cier, primate of Belgium, arrived here
today on the transport Northern
Pacific, from Brest docking at Ho
boken late this afternoon. The Cardin'
al was met down the bay by the
mayors committee of welcome and
church officials aboard the police boat
patro,.
/ Cardinal Mercier brings to America
the thanks of the little country in
whose tragic history he has played so
heroic part. AS the venerable pre-
late stepped for the first time on
American soil he was asked for mes
sage to the American people.
Il can only say, / thank you," he
replied, his voice quivering with emo
tion. What else is there for me TO
say?'
Cardinal iMercier speaks excellent
English with a soft, musical accent.
There is little in the outward form of
the man who has played so striking
a part on the worlds stage to tell OF
the devoted priest who defied the Ger
man invader in the most insolent mo-
ment of his brutal triumph and stern
ly bade him heed the law Of God II he
cared nothing for the laws of men.
Thin, almost to the point of enact
alton, his tall form bent under the
tremendous burden he bore for four
terrible years, the features of his
heavily lined face seem to reveal moth
ing but gentleness and kindliness. But
the deep set brown eyes look out
from under the strongly marked eye.
brows with a clear, calm, and pene.
trating gaze which tell much of the
unconquerable spirit of the men.
Daylight was fading when the Unit
ed States transport Northern Pacific
stained slowly to its pier in Hoboken
Long before it docked the watchers
on the wharf had caught sight of the
tail, black figure standing on the
bridge gazing eagerly at the shores
of the country which meant so much
to his native land in her hour of deep
est need. A great cheer went up and
the cardinal DOTTED his tri-cornered
beaver hat and bowed again and
again in answer.
AS soon as the gangway had been
run up, Mayor Hylan and the official
welcoming committee, Archbishop
Hayes and a number of other church
dignitaries, who had accompanied the
transport up the bay on the police
boat patrol, boarded her and official
ly welcomed the guest of the city and
nation. The cardinal was then es-
corted from the transport to the pa
troll on which he was taken across
the river and thence by automobile
to Archbishop Hayes residence.
Belgium's beloved spiritual prince,
guardian of the welfare of $500 900
Roman Catholics in the little kingdom
whose first fierce resistance stayed
the German avalanche, Cardinal De-
slider atus Mercier, was born on No
vember %, 1851, in Braine d'Alleud,
a village only a few miles from fam
Gus Waterloo.
Typical of the heroism of King AL
bert's countrymen. this physically
frail but intellectually powerful pre-
late of the church stirred the whole
world to admiration of his courage
when, on the first war Christmas, in
1914, with Germans everywhere in
Belgium, he issued his famous pastor
al letter, denouncing the invader and
urging his people to resist in these
words:
Germany has violated her oath.
We can neither number our dead =