The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-20
CARDINAL MERCER
ENDS VISIT HERE
Begins Tour To-day Which
Will Include Nearly All
American Cities.
ATTENDS FOUR FUNCTIONS
Tells Assemblage at Bankers
Club Belgium Never Will
Forget Our Aid.

Cardinal Mercier of Belgium, who
upon his arrival in the United States
said his whole purpose in coming here
was that he might express, with all the
force that lay in him, the gratitude Of
the Belgian to the American nation,
Voiced that sentiment over and over
again yesterday in n day which included
four receptions given him by different
groups of persons In this city.
He was the principal guest AT noon Mt
reception and luncheon rendered him
at the Bankers Club by Gen. George
Wood Wingate and 100 other men who
are working to have the city erect a
victory hall and memorial at Madison
avenue and Forty-second street, to be
dedicated to the American soldiers who
gave their lives in France. Later in
the afternoon Cardinal Mercier met the
members of the Association of Foreign
Press Correspondents In the art gal
leries of the Public Library. From
there he went to the National Belgian
Church. in West Forty-seventh street, as
the guest Of the Belgian Bureau, and at
night another reception and dinner was
rendered him by Belgians resident in
New York and with Pierre Mali. Belgian
Riding about the city in an open au-
tomobile from one engagement to an
other, Cardinal Mercier was acclaimed
everywhere by ck ,ers and the waving of
Belgian and American flags. And to
every audience he faced he told over and
over again OF the sense of gratitude and
deep obligation which his people feel
toward the United States.
Annual Thanksgiving Day.
Speaking at the luncheon at the Bank
ers Club to an audience of business and
professional men, representative OF much
that is preeminent downtown, Cardinal
Mercier said upon the relations OF Bel
gians and Americans
How deeply and mine appreciate
your noble country and hold open arms
TO the Americans. The kind invitation
which brings me here to-day is new
evidence of this
You intend to have victory hall to
commemorate the glories OF al! those
who sacrifices their lives for the sake
Of Justice and humanity. One could as
sumo that YOU would concentrate your
energies to erect large and splendid
monument where all the glories not only
of your country but also of the allied
armies will have tbe.- place and honor
wish here to congratulate you thereon.
Now some months ago. In June. there
was in Brussels a solemn manifestation
of thankfulness to God Thanksgiving
day and our great King Albert and
Queen Elizabeth were there, and we re-
solved that in the future one Sabbath
day in every year shall be dedicated TO
the United States to testify our CRATE
fitness to all your people.
\. Es.w.a ltga
were preserved from starvation. That
we owe largely 10 the genial conception
and strong will of Herbert Hoover. You
did also a great work for our wounded
through the American, Red Cross. ia
For all this I have been anxious to
come TO the United States and tell you
the public feeling of enduring gratitude
cherished by our nation toward yours,
and am here this moment as the
spokesman Of my nation to that effect.
OF course they chose a poor spokesman,
but I am doing what I can to express
their feeling toward you"
Not Asking for Aims.
Cardinal MERCER said without hest
tatlon that he was hopeful also that
Americans would do what they could for
the reconstruction Of Belgium
IT cannot rely much ne said. ION
the people who have lost nearly all. I
am obliged, though II Is a little humiliat-
ing to appeal to others.
II hope that as soon as we have re.
covered we shall ask nothing from for
eigners in Tho future. But in August.
1914. we Willingly and freely sacrificed
ourselves and what we want now is not
aims. We fairly recognize that we have
a claim to be reesta blished in our for
mer position and we have the ambition
to become strong people and a finer
and more prosperous people than be.
fore. I think I know your generosity
and that may rely on New York for
men will use your influence to establish
a committee which would be commit
tee for social reconstruction for Bel
GUM think our cause would be
gained"
At the reception by the foreign press
correspondents Cardinal Mercier was
greeted by Marcel Knecht president OF
the correspondents' association; by
Myron T, Herrick, Amba ssador to
France in 1914, and Melville Stone, gen
eral manager Of the Associated Press
NJ. Knecht presented gold pin 10 the
Cardinal as a memento from the as
ISOLATION and two little Alsatian girls
gave medals TO him Inscribed in mem
DRY Of Joan Of Arc and OF Verdun
At the dinner last night Cardinal
Mercier was surrounded by fellow coun.
trymen and to them he expressed again
the sense Of gratitude due from all Bel.
CLANS, and from them. to this country.
Cardinal MERCER win leave for Baltl-
more to-day, and after visiting Wash
ington, where he will attend congress
OF American bishops, he will begin n
four, which will take him to nearly.
every city OF Importance in this coun-
try.