Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-19
BELGIUM THANKS
AMERICA FOR AID
Foreign Minister EuIogizes U. S.
When President Wilson
Visits Parliament
MEETS CARDINAL MERClER
BY the Associated Press

Brussels, June 19.-President Will
son, who reached the Belgian capital
last night after n days trip from the
border which took him through the
districts devastated by the war, be-
gan the second day of his visit to Bel
GUM this morning by motoring to Char
leroi with King Albert. The king
showed the American executive the de-
struction wrought by the Germans in
the mines at Charlero and supplied him
with documentary information of the
wholesale and systematic destruction
prncticed by the Germans.
The President was not accompanied
on the Charleroi visit by Mrs. Wilson,
who was somewhat fatigued after yes
terdey's trying journey.
A luncheon at the American legation,
! the appearance of the President before
the Belgian Chamber of Deputies and
his reception by Cardinal Mercer at
Malines were on today's program.
The President and King Albert set
out en- their trip to Charleroi at 0
o'clock. They were accompanied by
nj. Jaspar, the minister of economics,
and a numerous suite
Wilson Talks Outside Palace
On stepping out of the palace this
morning the President found several
thousand persons assembled there who
clamored for speech. He responded
with his first public talk, which was
confined to few words.
My friends,' said the President,
''in coming here personally I have
merely followed my own heart and the
heart of the American people toward
Belgium
In the palace the President had met
all the members of the Belgian cab
met and Cardinal Mercier. BY calling
first the cardinal offered a diplomatic
route for the Presidents call upon him
at Malines today.
The general council of the Belgian
labor party has addressed a message
to President Wilson, in which it says
'The labor party repudiatcs any
peace of violence and awaits the reign
of definite peace assuring the sover-
eighty Of labor and the triumph OF
President Wilson's principles.
The address recalls the intervention
of the United States in the war and
adds:
'If the working classes everywhere
were masters of their destinies it is be
yond doubt that the Presidents pro
gram would have completely triumphed
at the Peace Conference and Belgium
would have obtained complete repara =
ton for the losses she suffered"
Belgium's s gratitude for Americas
work of relief during the great war and
for the gallant service of the American
army during the last months of tht
conflict was expressed bv Paul Hymans
. foreign minister. today on the occasion
OF the Presidents visit to parliament.
Addressing Mr.. Wilson, the Minister
recalled proofs of Americas friendship
for Belgium which were given him when
he visited the United States during the
first few months of the war as mem
ber of the Belgian commission which in
quired into German atrocities.
"Since them he said, "Americans
have proved their sentiments toward
our country by acts of generosity, es-
pecially by the establishment of the
Belgian Relief Commission.
NJ. Hymans paid a tribute to Herbert
G. Hoover, who acted as chairman of
the relief commission Brand Whitlock,
American minister to Belgium. and the
American press and American women.
America Belgium's Hope
'The result of these efforts of Amer
( icans," he continued, was that the
Belgian cause became the symbol of
right. 1t won such partisans of weight
as Cardinal Gibbons, DR.. Charles w.
Eliot, president emeritus of Harvard
University; Samuel Gompers, president
of the American Federation of Labor.
and Theodore Roosevelt. Finally the
American army, crusading to Europe,
took a glorious part in the common VIC
tory.
'Thanks TO our liberal democratic
constitution the Belgian people, under