The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-02-19

concern, the betterment of the conditions of his people He immediately set up government to begin the period of reconstruction and included it representatives of the three principal political parties of the country He appealed to all parties
 to cooperate for the general benefit of the country emphasizing his interest in all the people he did in his first speech from the throne when he said Our prosperity depends upon the prosperity of the masses"
 The King frequently visited the devastated areas and made contributions of considerable to the King Albert Fund which devoted to the temporary shelter of sufferers of the With the reconstruction work under way at home the King, with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Leopold, undertook journeys to the United States, England, France, Spain Brazil and other countries with the object of studying trade conditions and finding outlets for Belgian commerce. They were received with cordiality everywhere.
 During the tour of the royal party in this country, Americans raised a fund of $50000 in King Albert's honor toward the restoration of Louvan University which had been of the objects Of enemy bombardment during the war Sev- eral American universities conferred upon the King the honorary degree of doctor of laws. He visited among other places the tombs of Washington and Lincoln and the grave of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt
 King Albert conceived the idea of working for general prosperity for his people while he was Crown Prince That he might know their wants and needs from a first-hand study of their prob lems he worked in the mines drove railway engines and performed other manual labor that brought him in contact with the working class, Later mem Der of the Belgian Senate the burden of his speeches generally the betterment of the common people
 When he became their ruler he promised reign of progress One of his first steps to blot out human slavery in the Began Congo which for years had shamed Belgium in the eyes of the civilized world. He knew how to correct the evils, having visited the dependency to make personal investigation shortly before he ascended the throne
 Early in his reign he was responsible for several social economic and legal reforms. By his liberal acts King Albert attracted the Socialists who, dur ing the latter years of the reign of Leopold II, had been growing stronger During the among the men he summoned for consultation Van dervelde the Socialist leader. Another Yer haeren, the poet, whom the King asked to go on the firing line and preach patriotism to the soldiers
 Pomp and circumstance tolerated by King Albert only so far as events made them necessary He made the procedure and expression in his court as simple possible. Among his people he was friendly and modest almost to the point of bash fitness. When he and the Queen visited England which they did frequently, they stopped at a hotel and mingled freely with shoppers and theatre-goers
 Known as beloved ruler, brave soldier, keen diplomat and prince of mechanics King Albert was proud of the last title he was of the rest During his student days he showed marked taste for engineering and mechanics. Naval and aerial construction especially attracted him and even after ascending to the throne he went to England to make a special study of naval construction.
 He gained the distinction during his war service of being the first crowned head to risk riding in an airplane. After the he became so interested in aviation that he did most of his travelling by air despite the pleas of his Ministers.