Evening star., 1934-03-04

The royal cads are generally those who affect
to be extremely democratic in manners and
friendships. but who at the bottom of their
hearts, poor souls, never forget that they BE-
long to . superior semi-divine class
With Leopold of Belgium simplicity is the
authentic expression of intimate dignity
which makes him feel the beauty of being
a man-s free man-before he feels the beauty
Of being q royal prince The announcement
of his fathers sudden death overlook him IN
a small place in the Swiss Alps, where he had
gone with Princess Astrid for few days Of
skiing. They were living in a very modest
hotel under the simple name of Count and
Countess Rethy, and they had been delighted
to discover at the same place two or three very
inconspicuous little French industrialists and
engineers, who, like them had gone there for
a long week end and who had been tactful
enough not to mention to the Prince and
Princess that they knew their identity. 1t was
with these little industrialists and engineers
that the Prince went out every day for long
excursions.
Much the same thing happened years ago
when the young Leopold stayed for few
weeks at q little Italian seashore which be-
longed to me- All the time he was there he
was talking with the fishermen and peasants
Of the region but he did not speak in the
superior, condescending way which is SO hate
full. He knew that they were human beings
like himself and that he had been offered .
unique opportunity to get in touch with the
most modest class of the Italian people, that
class which is sometimes much more of a per-
feet aristocracy than the aristocracy Of the
titled ones
IRON two important French and Dutch per-
sonalties who have been Leopolds hosts
during the extensive tours he has made through
the Asiatic and African colonies have heard
by chance the same remark. They said that
Leopold was q young prince who was endowed
with large culture, both scientific and literary
and with a rare sense Of observation. This is
perfectly true but what gave me an even more
optimistic impression Of the Prince was that I
thus discovered that Leopold had been able to
visit for days with big personalities and that he
had succeeded in hiding from them his much
rarer gifts of humor and Of irony. Evidently
he must have discovered already that It Is
cheap for a sovereign or future sovereign
to look too brilliant Leopold's distant cousin,
Kaiser Wilhelm II, was brilliant. Another king,
Alphonso Of SPAIN is also extremely brilliant.
Their fate shows that a royal person should be
on his guard against this sort Of success.
But luckily for him and for his delightful
wife, Astrid Leopold Of Belgium Is just what
he hides 30 carefully-I mean that he = q
man to whom duty Is the sacred law Of his
hfe but who at the same time Is incurably
1ronical and skeptich every. time waves Of
fattery are showered on him and every time
he finds himself besieged BY those who used
to proclaim themselves loyal servants" Of
the monarchy In order to be themselves served
by the monarchical institution.
In . word everything that know q this
youngest Of European kings makes me certain
that like his admirable father, he win snow
on the throne this very rare and most precious
combination Of qualities sense Of reality
which makes him see through the most deceiv-
ing formulas and, ct the same time, . moral
honesty which compels him to accomplish his
entire duty simply because he stoically knows
that it Is his duty.
In his own words, Leopold Of Belgium has
erystallized his philosophy Of government and
has reflected the high spiritual purposes he has
inherited from his father. quote again from
the speech he delivered . few months ago in
the Belgian Senate when he was pleading Tor
justice for the Congo
Belgium is more than a financial concern;
Belgium Is . moral entity"