Omaha daily bee., 1919-10-12
BY ROBERT ]. PREV,
International News Service Staff
CorresnOudpuf

ny HObERl J. PKEW,
international News Service Staff
Correspondent.
New York, Oct liking Albert
the perfect knight"
This succinct, but comprehensive
designation of the king Of the Bel
gians was supplied to me after the
German invasion of Belgium by
Pierre Lott, the French 'immor-
tai" 1t has since become historic
The phrase. in fact. is conf
pletc and accurate biography in it
self, for it is his magnificent stand
against Won Kluck in August, 1914,
his knightly solicitude for the honor
of the gallant little country over
which he rcigned. which ranks Al
bert in history with Bayard the
chevalier, without fear, and without
reproach.
That the king is a fine. upstand-
ing man with a kindly smile, that
he is possessed OF indomitable
courage, that he is wise and
shrewd ruler, are things belonging
to the common stock of knowledge
of Beleium's monarch, but Eu-
rope will always know him as the
worlds perfect knight" Bernard
Partridge's Punch cartoon is in
this sense the same as Lofts
phrase:
80. sire, you have lost all, said
the kaiser Of 1914. tauntingly, to the
daring young ruler.
Eyes, all save honor" was Albert's
proud and crushing reply.
Ethereal Vision.
Neat brevity also characterized
Lofts description when | asked him
about Queen Elizabeth. "An ethe-
real vision in blue" said the acade
n1ician. And everyone who has had
the honor of meeting Albert's con-
sort will agree that nothing could
better, sound the dominant note OF
the queen. Frail. slender and win
some. she has intensely blue eyes
the true blue" of open frankness
and endearment. Blue is also her
favorite color, most of her gowns
being blue.
The king has for long been look
ing forward eagerly to his American
lts
that he knows more about the
United States than any monarch of
this or any other day. The coun
try has always interested him in
tense,v and no American has called
upon him in the last five years with
out leaving behind some extra grain
of knowledge of American life and
conditions. which King Albert has
slowed away i'll his wellordered
mind.
King "Wise to U. S."
During the past summer a party
OF congressman from half dozen
different states were presented to
his majesty at the palace, and they
left amazed at the manner in which
the king was versed in American
conditions. 1t was not the general
knowledge of tourist or newspaper
reader. but accurate, detailed i'll
formation on the staple trades of
each particular state which Albert
was able to refer to in his talk with
the astonished congressman. He
Knew as much about TIC mules of
Wyoming as about the orange
groves of Southern California or
tine hogs Of Virginia.
Is Speed Fanatic.
Speed is the kings particular
craze, and it would be surprising if
he returned home from the United
States without seeing at least some
parts of the country from an aero
plane. When he few to meet
. President Wilson on the French
frontier last June, he was all for
having the president accompany
him on an aerial tour Of Holland.
Automobiles are fast enough for
me-" the president said with some
emphasis.
"And yet there i. nothing like the
aeroplane," the king rejoined. "You
get speed all the time. and there
are no distractions. Also It is quite
safe"
And as il to convince the president
of the dangers of motoring, the
party was hustled over the roads of
Belgium at breakneck pace. The
hustle Of the whole Belgian tour was
inspired by the kings love of swift
aCtlOH. whenever ne mas 10 travel
any distance from Brussels he goes
by air. He has several times jour
neyed in this way to London and
Paris and back again to his capital.
Often the queen goes with him, for
she, too, shares his love of rapid
transit in the uncrowded air.
King of Belgians.
1t is worthy of note that Amer
ica's royal visitor is not the king of
Belgium" but the king of the Bel
gians. There is no king of Belgium.
Albert inherits the title of his fore
bear, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Co-
burg, who in June, 1881, after the
split with Holland, was elected king
of the Belgians" by the national con-
gress sitting in Brussels. He is not
the lord of the land, monarch of all
he surveys, as, for instance, the king
OF England; he is the elected ruler Of
his people.