Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-11-04
LITTLE BELGIUM
AND HER MANLY KING
Extoled In Sermon AT The Pres
byterian Church Last
Sunday Night
THE KING OF KINGS

gians and the King Of Kings" He
said in part: One of the favorite say
ings of Christ ran like this, Who
sover of you will be chiefest," shall
be servant of all This was new
measure of human values. Greatness
is not measured by wealth, station
family, creed, but by service. 1t means
that the greatest man in Annapolis is
he who does the most good in An
napolis. Measure the Belgians and
their king by this standard Theirs
is little country with a population
of 100000 packed into a little strip
of land between the devil and the
they by indomitable heroism and i'm
measurable sacrifice and service saved
the world At the close of a peaceful
and hopeful Sabbath, August =, 1914,
came Germany's ultimatum, saying
that Germany had decided to forestall
the enemy's attack, invade Belgium
and move her armies across TO the
frontiers of France, and announcing
that this little nation should allow
them to pass or be treated as an
enemy. Without hesitation Belgium
sent this dignified and resolute reply.
THE German ultimatum has caused
the Belgian government deep and pain
full establishment and Belgium refuses
to believe that her independence could
be preserved at the cost of violating
her neutrality" King Albert appealed
to Great Britain and France to pre-
serve that neutrality. Then saying to
her people that Germany seems to
think that Belgium is a road, not a
country" he said to Germany, you
shall not pass"
The cost of that heroic stand can
not be told. But the old Book says
that without the shedding of blood
there is no remission of sins, and here,
as on Calvary, the just suffer for the
unjust. No progress has ever been
made in human history without some
one paying the price. This is as true
N America as it was in Europe I'm
less the church is willing to be the
martyr, fill up the cup of Christ's suf-
ferings, our land now in the throws
Of industrial strife cannot be saved.
But turn your thoughts once more
to little Belgium.
She is a constitutional and heredi-
tary monarchy She became an indie
pendent state in 1880. The next year
by the treaty CT London her neutral
ty was guaranteed by Great Britain
Russia, Austria and Prussia "a scrap
Of paper" She has had three kings
and the present ruler is the grandson
Of the first Leopold. The Belgian leg
islative body is the King, the senate
and the assembly of representatives.
has vote. Those cities having a
certain amount of property have two
votes and those holding diplomas of
higher education or practicing a pro-
fession implying such education, have
three votes. The army, made so es-
sential by reason Of Belgiums posi-
ton and the constant menace of Ger
many, draws into its service for eight
years every man capable of bearing
arms. Five years in the reserve force
follows this. A big price to pay for
national liberty.
OF her population about 100000
speak only French, another 100000
speak only Flemish, and about $1,000
speak only German. In religion the
people are nearly all of them Roman
~ z
protestant pastors and IA Jewish rab-
bies.
~ remember Sunday in Brouges,"
said DR.. Persons, "how / was awak-
ened by it's bells and chimes, bells of
every size; chimes in many steeples.
filling the heavens with their music
and their call to worship. 1t was like
the choiring angels singing the praises
of Cod went to many churches that
day, found them full of worshippers,
comprehend. and yet l understood the
sermons. l knew those priests had
earnest messages for their people. AS
on the day of pentecost, Peter was
understood by the polyglot multitude
of Jerusalem, so that these appeals to
the Belgian people were appeals to me-
I am <pursuaded that Belgian's relig-
ion has made Belgium the saviour of
civilization"
A word more as to her King, the
man and the soldier. How the army
loved him. Eve will die for shim,'
He shared their common life and lot
shared their dangers in the trench,
slept by the side of the road, put up
wireless telegraph under fire, piled the
gun for an hour to let poor exhaust
ed soldier rest. A true king, chiefest
among them because he is servant of
all. He said in closing: May God
grant to this noble king and his mod
est queen safe passage back to their
brave people"