Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-10-02
king ALBERT
GIVEN NOISY ,
RECEPTION
Belgian Ruler, Queen Eliza
beth and Prince Leopold
Reach New York.
SALUTES FROM FORTS
AND HARBOR SHIPS

sUUOuSO " NS/~y "
King Albert One Of Great Hsross Of
Morld War-savsd France From
Being ovsrrun BY German Hordss.
New York. Oct. liking Albert OF
the Belgians. Queen Elizabeth and
Prince Leopold. who come to person
ally express their gratitude for tho Ala
extended by generous nation to the
country. received noisy Welcome to
New York when aroused at dawn by
the firing OF salutes when tho George
washington steamed past the haroor
Notifications.
It was truly an American Welcome
such as has greeted returning heroes
from France and not even defsrenoe to
royalty was observed to still the siren
whistles.
King Issues Thankful Note.
Upon his arrival here today King
Albert issued the following to tho
American people:
"At the moment Of setting foot
on American soil the king Of the
Belgians desires to express the
great pleasure the king and queen
feel at coming to its shores at the
request Of President Wilson. The
king brings to this nation Of friends
the testimony Of the profound SEN
timent OF his countrymen for the
powerful aid. morale and material
which America gave to them In the
course of the war. The name q .
the commission for the relief OF !
Belgium will live eternaily.
The king rejoices at the prospect
OF visiting the, cities whose hearts
fought with Belgium, He hap-. !
Et5y Nill be able 70 meet the cIni- 4
nesIt ciSisens who. animAtsd sby !
th1S hi9lf6st thoug ghH,s ~ sss
selves at the heads Of orEaniSattonS
for the relief Of q troubled people" =
King 10 Vsrsatiis.
Albert L, king OF tho Balgians, the
only newspaper reporter who ever be-
came monarch, Is ~ years old and Is
one Of the most picturesque figures Of
the great war.
The king took post graduate course
In Newspaper" training In 1908 when.
somewhat like Peter the Great, he Wis
tied the ship yards Of France. Great
Britain, Italy, Germany and Scandin-
avia, to learn everything possible re-
garding ocean carriers with the expec-
tation at some future time Of putting
Belgium high In the class of maritime
powers. Several years previously, 1t
is said. when Nerely the son Of the
Count Of Flanders, nephew Of King
Leopold. he came to the United States
and worked 40 4 reporter on one or two
newspapers In the northwest.
Succeeding to the crown on Dec -.
1909, Albert I. endeared himself to the
100000 people Of his little Kingdom.
The. abuses Of the Congo. which had
brought upon tho hcad Of his aSed
uncle Leopold. the condemnation Of the
civilized world. were abolished ana
tho king and his beautiful consort fac-
cd the prospect Of . long and happy
reign In country whore "tramps, i'd
lars and soup houses are unknown.
Underwent Soldier Hardships.
Then came the war. Tho king Of the
Belgians might have yielded and ss-
capped much Of the hardship and SUI
fering that was the lot Of himself ana
his people for more than four years.
Heedtng not the specious promises OF
the Germans to pay Belgium huge
sums for the privilege Of crossing her
soil to attack France. the sallant king
rallied his army Of $4,000 men and
placed himself at their head to fight
the invader. When the German armies
violated atnVise the neutrality Of the
little nation they were pledged to pro-
tect, they met with the most stubbors
resistance from the valinnt but fnumer-
.cally inferior Hels!ans at the forts Of
Laags ape Nhmur.
Dur4n6 6Athe dreat conflict King Al
bert spared hinasslf mono az the rsors
OF the soldier. Often no exposed him
seIf to shell fire and aviators' bombs
burst about him. Once q German shell
tore 81 the wheel Of the automobile In
which he was riding. At another time
~ chauffeur who had been promised
81, 900, 900 to deliver the king to the
enemy Was shot dead az he sendeavor-
ed to drive the royal car into the Ger
man lines, Hardly . day passed that
1he was not In jeopardy Of his life and
futile efforts were made by ministers
to ihdudS .Him not to expose himself.
MY ~ a - Of no more yalue than
yours" h6 told his heartsick soldiers
on their rstreat from Antwerp. my
piaco5 IL On the firing line 5 'i5r
Mother I HohsnxolIsrn.
Altho his mother was Q Hohensoi-
1ern princess and his wife = Bayartan
princess, and altho in his youth he had
been educated In Germany. he maAn-
tslnsd an Independence Of character
4 1hat irritateA the former emperor oi
Germany. The latter, among other
honors before the war. conferred upon
! Albert H. the title Of honorary colonel
s Cf the Mscklenburg regiment, an act
which the Belgian press construed 81
"a effort. Of the German ruler to gain
an influence over the young king.
N s An indIcat Ion OF Albert's spirit came
wisen Belgium was invaded. In taking
II command Of his troops on Aug. & 1914,
I he said; ~ neighb0r. naughty n ita
4 strength, without the slightest provo
( eataon. - torn up : treaty bearing -