VOL. Ml. No. 9 FEBRUARY 27. 1943 NEWS FROM BELGIUM AND THE BELGIAN CONGO

I BELGIAN INFORMATION CENTER 630 FIFTH AVENUE. NEW YORK, N. Y. (fSpg^llflii 1 CIRCLE 6-2450

All material published in NEWS FROM BELGIUM may be reprinted without / permission. Please send copies of material In which quotations are used to this office. / ^

"

THESE PERIODICAL BULLETINS MAY BE OBTAINED FREE ON^^^UEST. The Bmte and The "Lamb" In Failure of a Mission Sir Nevile Hen• painting now and then. Mr. Hitler would derson told us all about the great love Mr. have liked to have the Venus of Milo—but Hermann Goering feels for works of art, he heard just in time that her arms xvere especially when they can be purchased prac• missing. It seems he refused the present. tically without expense on his part. After Everybody knows you can't satisfy Mr. Hit• all, one should get out of conquered coun• ler with a fragment; he always wants the tries all one can. whole pie. Very often the lack of gratitude on the According to information received part of the "liberated" peoples gives Ger• through that brave little underground neivs- many only trouble — and more trouble. paper. La Libre Belgique, Mr. Goering has German soldiers and conscientious ad• been rewarded for his pains and labor in ministrators of concentration camps are Belgium. After all we should not forget assassinated by the populace, and even that he sent the Luftwaffe to Belgium in those few people in foreign lands, who May 1940,—t/iose splendid boys who wanted really understand Germany and are desir• to emulate the marvelous deeds of Mr. Mus• ous of lending Mr. Goering a hand, end up solini's fliers against the Ethiopians (those by getting themselves murdered by their treacherous aggressors who attacked tanks own compatriots. The insolent Belgians, and airplanes with bronze spears). These dis• Dutch and Greeks even claim they should tinguished young men killed 10,000 Belgian eat as much as pure-blooded Germans. women and children on the roads to France. Sometimes these scoundrels blow up bridges They really worked hard, but from time to and munitions factories. When Mr. Goering time ivere able to snatch a moment of fun says something of significance over the radio, and relaxation. You will remember in they brazenly make fun of it. "Liberating" Diary of a Nazi Flier how amusing the these stubborn peoples is really no joke. The author found it to dive down on Belgian only reward that can be expected is a little mothers running for shelter and frantically NEWS FROM BELGIUM FEBRUARY 27, 1943 pushing their baby carriages to safety. Those keeping and in June 1940 ordered this sum brave warriors, those blond Nordic demi• shipped to London. But the men of Vichy gods sent by Goering, did a really complete shipped it to Dakar, and when the Germans and thorough job, and they had some fun were informed of its presence there, they besides. But what did Hermann get out of asked for it. Mr. Petain, who is politeness it? A few headlines in the beginning—later, incarnate, replied, "If you want the Belgian nothing but headaches. gold, gentlemen, help yourselves; here it is, However, it is a wise man who abides his and have a good time." time and true merit is bound to receive its In May 1940, the Belgians—who know reward sooner or later. That moment has their Germans—had also shipped "The Ado• finally come for pot-bellied Mr. Goering. ration of the Lamb" to "safety" in France. He oives it to two distinguished Frenchmen It went as far south as the city of Pau in the Pyrenees and there it has been stored for —to Mr. Philip Petain and to Mr. Abel Bon- over two years in the local museum. But nard, member of the Academic Frangaise only a few weeks after the Germans march• and Minister of Fine Arts in the Vichy Gov• ed into Vichy France, Mr. Bonnard of the ernment. These gentlemen have handed to French Academy couldn't resist Mr. Goer• Mr. Goering the greatest, the most extraor• ing's request, and he shipped the altarpiece dinary Flemish painting of all times: "The of the Ghent Cathedral to the foul murder• Adoration of the Lamb" by Jan van Eyck. er of the Luftwaffe. The underground newspaper. La Libre Bel• Of course it is only a painting. It gique, states that the editor waited a long is not even a new one. It had been time before releasing the news. When re• hanging for 500 years in a small dusty ports first came through it sounded unbe• chapel in Saint Bavo's Church in Ghent. lievable, but he carefully checked the When visitors from the four corners of the sources and found the information to be earth came to see it, they usually became correct. silent in the presence of a work which was Notwithstanding its brief existence, the majesty and beauty itself. For Flemish art, Vichy Government has already acquired for Flemish sensitivity, for science, poetry and religious philosophy of the late Middle very definite traditions. Every state, every Ages, it had the same significance as Dante's government should have traditions. A good Divina Commedia for Italy. It was the culmi• set of traditions is to a government what a nation of every idea, every loyalty the man mink coat is to a chorus girl. Didn't Mr. of the Middle Ages had. In it was concentrat• Hitler tell the United States that it was a ed everything he liked or loved in visible country which would fall apart at the first creation or in heaven. A people may quarrel shock, just through lack of tradition? The among themselves; they may be divided on a Vichy "Government" has developed a won• great number of questions, but there will al• derful tradition of vileness and degradation ways be some elements which in times of dan• that scarcely will find its equal in history. ger have the magic power of uniting all na• Nobody in Europe is more energetic when tional energies. The Greek historian Thucy- it comes to throwing themselves at the feet dides tells us that in times of national depres• of the Germans. They can't be outdone in sion or political despair Pericles used to ad• that field; they possess to the highest degree dress the Athenians and say, "Look at the what in European politics used to be called, Acropolis; look at the Parthenon," and "de I'energie dans I'aplatissement." when the Athenians heard these words they At the outbreak of the war the Belgian were so proud of what they had accomplish• Government gave 230 million dollars worth ed in the world that they forgot their trou• of gold to the Bank of France for safe• bles and united against the common foe.

[66] NEWS FEOM BELGIUM FEBEUART 27, 1943

The majesty of Jan Van Eyck's "Adora• die an ugly and well-deserved death. The tion of the Lamb" had the same magic ef• altarpiece of Ghent, the very heart of Flan• fect on the people of Belgium. Each of them ders, is a captive in Germany. It has joined felt as if he had painted it. Nobody was in 70,000 soldiers (mostly Walloon) still em- a position to explain its every detail but prisoned in German camps. It has joined everybody felt that this compendium of sci• our 300,000 workers abducted for slave la• ence and art, harmoniously united, was the bor in the Reich. very symbol of the national soul. From now After the last war, the Versailles Treaty j on it will adorn the drawing rooms of Mr. provided for the return to Belgium of two ! Goering and his ponderous spouse. These of the panels of the van Eyck polyptych. It vulgar parvenus will show their "acquisi• was restored again in all its glory, and for tion" to their many servile friends, and some 25 years it could be seen in the chapel for scholarly pedant will write at least 2,000 which it was painted in 1432. It will come pages of gothic print to prove that the Bel- back to its home in Ghent unstained, reful• ^ gians never realized what this painting real• gent with the genius that produced it 500 ly meant and how great a "German" Jan years ago. Goering will not taint it. In its k van Eyck was. five centuries of existence, it has survived ' The Germans thought they would win the sieges, wars and revolutions. It will survive Flemish people of Belgium over to their the repulsive promiscuity of that boisterous cause. Their efforts were in vain. German Falstaff, H. Goering. For the spirit has al• torturers are murdered in alleys at night. ways survived brute force. Quislings totter into canals and ditches to —THE EDITOR.

Food for the Children of Belgium

The New York Times, Febrmry 19, print• tion in Greece. According to the statement, it ed the following story on a joint appeal by 43 has the approval of the spokesmen for the con• Protestant leaders in the United States urging quered nations, while the supplies, shipping and that children, nursing and expectant mothers money needed to put it into effect are all ready. and invalids he fed now in order to prevent them Bishops, college presidents, deans, professors, heads of church organizations and clergymen are from perishing before the war's end: among the signers of the document. They ex• Warning that a large part of the population pressly dissociated themselves from "former of Belgium, and possibly of other conquered President Hoover's various feeding schemes and European countries, may die of starvation be• from the agitation of pacific and isolationist fore the end of the war unless they get help groups." from abroad, a group of forty-three Protestant "Two years ago," the statement said, "we leaders issued a joint statement last night urging joined in opposition to propaganda put forward this country to make immediate shipments of by former President Hoover and others for the dried milk and vitamins for children, nursing feeding of Continental Europe. Developments and expectant mothers and invalids, but for no of the past two years have not altered our con• other persons. viction of the impracticability and inacceptabil- Under the plan advocated by the group, the ity of Mr. Hoover's successive proposals. supplies would be bought in the United States "At the same time we pledged our efforts to or South America, shipped in neutral vessels to explore every possibility for assistance to the a neutral port in Europe, transshipped in sealed stricken peoples of Europe which would not cars to their destination and distributed under strengthen their conquerors. We believe that the neutral Red Cn)as supervision. This would be time has now come when their present desperate an extension of the plan that has been in opera• condition must be faced, and carefully limited

[67] NEWS FEOM BELGITTM FEBEUAET 27, 1943 and rigorously supervised measures for their re• prior to as well as since Pearl Harbor is be• lief must be taken. yond challenge. . . . "Privation is rapidly deepening into starva• "The plan advocated has precedent at every tion. The fact is that unless such necessities as essential point and involves no exceptions to the powdered milk and vitamins are made avail• strict enforcement of the blockade which have able, a very considerable proportion of the pop• not already been approved for relief to France ulation of Belgium, and possibly other subju• as well as to Greece. gated nations, may perish before the war's end." "The supplies are available. Money is at hand (Resolution of the Federal Council of Churches.) for their purchase. A ship is ready for their transport. The conditions and safeguards are "Great Britain no longer stands on the defen• identical with those now functioning with re• sive as solitary guardian of the freedom of all. gard to Greece. The scheme would become oper• "America's place in the struggle is determin• ative only on the unconditioned agreement of ed. The peril of alienating sentiment in this the Axis powers to these terms, and in the event country from Britain no longer threatens. of any violation of its speciiications its opera• "On the contrary, the Allies are moving to• tion would cease. ward an offensive which will need the maximum "We concur . . . with a recent statement in physical and moral assistance from the subju• The London Times: 'The fate of the next genera• gated peoples. tion in Belgium (as also Norway) does not de• "The spokesmen of the conquered nations, pend on what can be done on a lavish scale in two while still rejecting any proposals for general or three years. It depends on what can be done, feeding, are pleading with the British and even on a small scale, within the next two or American Governments for minimum assistance three months.' for the succor of their children. "We urge Christians whose support of the "Their plans have the considered support of cause of freedom is unquestioned to urge upon both church and ofScial leaders in both Britain the responsible officials of our government the and the United States whose support of the war early acceptance of this plan."

1, Belgium one of the numerous war loans which are launch• ed periodically in Germany. He went to the The Occupation Deutsche Bank and told an employee that he wanted to subscribe to one of the loans but he Economic and Social Life wanted to know who was guaranteeing that loan. Women to work on streetcars— The r e - The employee answered:—"The Fiihrer him• cruitment of women by the Liege street cars has self." met with difficulties on account of the scarcity -—That is quite alright with me, said the cit• of cloth for their uniforms. Their caps will be izen, but the Fiihrer is at the front and you like those of Belgian policemen, and the com• know quite well that anything can happen at the pany is considering the possibility of furnishing front." them with a dust-coat, but this will depend on —In that case, replied the employee, Goer• whether supplies can be obtained. ing will take the Fiihrer's place and the loan V ... — will then be guaranteed by Goering." It is worth it— As the German Government —Sure, said the citizen, but the Marshall ia keeps on printing huge quantities of banknotes, also at the front. Germany is suffering from extreme inflation. —Well, said the employee, if the Marshall , There is plenty of money about but nothing to also is killed, then the whole National-Socialist buy. As a result the following story is told in Party will guarantee the loan. Belgium: The citizen had a last hesitation and said:— A Berlin citizen who did not know what to "Yes, but if the National-socialist Party were do with a 1,000 Marks banknote thought that dissolved, what then?" it would perhaps be a good idea to subscribe to —My dear man, answered the employee,

[68] Belgium at War

1."-" - - • -..- * ""',1. .W' IMi^HBS^B^MiHiilllr': r-^••^ Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent. "The Adoration of the Lamb" by Jan Van Eyck, completed in 1432 for the chapel of this great cathedral, urns recently presented by Vichy as a gift to Reichsmarshal Goering (see edi• torial). In the foreground is a monument erected in honor of the artist and his brother Hubert. NEWS FEOM BELGIUM FEBEUAET 27, 1943

Detoil from "The Adoration of the Lamb." These youthful angels form the panel to the left of the Virgin Mary, and, according to an early critk. so skUful is the painting that "one can readily tell from looking at them which is singing the dominant, which the counter-tenor, and which the tenor and the bass." NEWS FEOM BELGIUM FEBEUAET 27, 1943:

Detail from "The Adoration of the Lamb." This first great masterpiece of the Flemish school consists in its entirety of twenty panels and comprises more than three hundred separate figures. The above panel is sometimes erroneously known as "Saint Cecilia." JSTEWS FEOM BELGIUM FEBEDAEY 27, 1943

Entrance to the fortress of Breendonck. Built for protection against the Germans sometime before 1914, the fort today is used by the Germans as a prison and torture chamber for anti-fascist Belgians. The small rural community of Breendonck is not far from Mechlin. NEWS FEOM BELGIUM FEBEUAET 27, 1943 wouldn't that be worth a thousand marks to Cultural Life you? ^ Landscape painter dies— Baron Frans Cattle stock reduced by 30%— The Ger• Courtens, a Belgian landscape painter, has died man-controlled Handel en Landhouw, journal in Brussels. Born at Dendermonde in 1854, he of commerce and agriculture, stated recently became a member of the Royal Academy and that the cattle stock had not decreased in occu• was ennobled by King Albert. pied Belgium. The journal's purpose was to V give the impression that the Germans had not Resistance to Nazi Occupation stolen any cattle and were providing the fodder Tugboats sabotaged— Saboteurs, working in Belgium used to import. groups, have scuttled a tug-boat on the Canal The truth is, however, that the number of du Centre, at the outlet of the La Louviere dairy cows has decreased by 30 per cent, and lock. They also set fire to the records of the the number of heifers has suffered nearly as office of works at La Louviere. great a reduction. Several bombing incidents have taken place Not only have the Nazis plundered Belgium in the Centre industrial area, in that respect, but also the lack of everything V ... — needed for cattle raising, such as fodder, has be• come so acute that the only solution is to kill off Execution without trial for possession of the animals before they starve to death. arms—HJ order of General von Falkenhausen, It should be added that the Nazis decided, in the German Military Governor, Belgians in il• 1941, to bring about a reduction of 40 per cent legal possession of arms or ammunition will be in the Belgian cattle stock. shot without trial. There is no wonder, therefore, that production The population is forbidden, on pain of death, of milk and meat have declined to such an ex• to give shelter, food or clothing to the perpetra• tent that the diet of the average Belgian is at tors of violent incidents or to Communists. the lowest rate ever imposed on a mass of peo• V ... — ple in a civilized country. Sabotage— A reward of 100,000 franca has V been offered by the Germans at Ghent for the discovery of the culprits of a bomb outrage Religious Life against National-Socialist guards quartered at Protestant Chaplain rfics—Word has been 28,'Plezante Vest. received of the death on October 7 of the Eev- In Brussels, a German soldier was killed by erend Pierre Blommaert, Chief Protestant revolver shots, in the Rue Bosquet. Shots were Chaplain for the Belgian Army. A member of also fired in Place Liedts, at Schaerbeek (Brus• one of those rare, old Flemish Huguenot fam• sels) and a German soldier who was standing ilies, whose roots lie deep in the soil of the on the platform of a tram was wounded. By way country, Pastor Blommaert came from the town of reprisals, the Germans have announced that of St. Maria-Horebeke, famous since Charles 20 political prisoners will be executed. the Fifth as a Protestant community. A further six prisoners will be shot to avenge As chaplain, he was with his soldiers during an outrage committed between Louvain and the entire campaign of May 1940, and after the Aerschot, where the railway line was destroyed capitulation he devoted himself to the wounded, by an explosion, when a military train passed the released prisoners of war, the Eed Cross there. and the Salvation Army. When Colonel Mary V ... — Booth was deported and Major Pieter Cohen Bank Directors quit in protest— Two Bel• died. Pastor Blommaert did his best to carry on gian Directors of the National Bank of Bel• their work and fill their places. Last fall he was gium in occupied Belgium were reported by the on a trip to the Borinage region for the Bundles Overseas News Agency, February 15, to have for Protestant Prisoners when he was struck by quit their posts in protest at Germany's impo• a heart attack and died several days later. sition of heavy occupation expenses and abusive Many American friends of Belgium remem• clearing arrangements. ber his visit and speaking tour in this country The names of the resigned directors were at the end of the last war. given as Berger and Van Nieuwenhuyse.

[69} NEWS FEOM BELGIUM FEBEUAET 27, 1943

Belgian workers taunt Germans—Belgian obligations and that you will continue to serve workers, arriving in Germany last week, wore your country's city of Brussels and our dear a new badge in their buttonholes with a large children." figure "6." It represented the annihilated Ger• V man Sixth Army at Stalingrad—a silent taunt Resistance in Belgium—Chemical factories at Nazi designs for conquest, according to the at Baelen-on-Nethe in Eastern Antwerp Prov• Overseas News Agency, February 14. ince have been destroyed by two heavy explo• V sions. Twenty-two bodies have been recoverd Civilians to guard factories— Fearing a re• from the ruins. The first explosion occurred in currence of violent incidents, the Germans have the part of the factory requisitioned by the Ger• compelled 500 Belgian ex-oiEoers and p.c.o.'s to man Army. mount guard, beside the German sentries, over A bomb exploded in a movie theatre reserved the factories in the industrial district of Vil- for the German Army in Brussels, killing one vorde near Brussels. German and wounding several. V Three unknown persons shot and killed Pro-Nazi police head slain in Brussels— the son of the Kexist mayor of Ham-sur-Heure The German-controlled Brussels radio is re• (Hainaut). ported by The New York Times, February 18, A veteran Eexist streetcar conductor was to have broadcast that the city's police superin• shot dead in Liege. tendent, Maurice Dessain, had been assassinat• Five saboteurs blew up the Bascoup elec• ed. The attack was the latest in a series on Nazi trical transformer and killed one of the night puppets in the occupied countries. guards. M. Dessain, the broadcast said, "died of Liege and Verviers railway station staffs wounds." Details were not given. have declared a strike in protest against the de• V .. portation of railroad workers. V Dismissed Alderman addresses teachers of Belgium— The dand^tine Belgian newspaper. Curfew at Lambusart— As a collective pen• La Libre Belgique, published the text of a let• alty for a violent incident, in which explosives ter sent to the teachers of Brussels by the Depu• were used, at Lambusart, (Charleroi), the Ger• ty Alderman for Public Education of Brussels, mans have forbidden the population of that town Foucart, after his dismissal under the forma• to be out of doors at night. tion of a Greater Brussels. V In the letter, Foucart said: "During my pe• Clothing factory set on fire—Four mask• riod of office at the Department of Public Edu• ed men, armed with revolvers, broke into a cation, I have been in a position to appreciate clothing factory, in the Avenue de la Eeine at your patriotism, your wholeheartedness, and Schaerbeek (Brussels), where work clothes were your integrity, in the matter of teaching. I can being made for export to Germany. only thank you for your valuable assistance. After ejecting the staff, the intruders set fire "Whoever may take over the post of Alder• to the stock of goods. The woman proprietor of man for Public Education, remember your first the business and her servant were trapped by duty is to the children entrusted to you by the the flam^ and burnt to death. population, and that their education, in accor• V ..• —• dance with our traditions, should be primarily Germans offer bribes for informing—The national, marked by tolerance and due respect German occupation authorities in Belgium are for the sincere convictions of others. In iheae reported by the Overseas News Agency, Febru• difficult days the future lies in the hands of men ary 17, to be offering larger bribes to policemen of strong character. You are men of this kind, and civilians in an effort to track down mem• *nd it is up to you to produce others. bers of the Belgian underground, which has "In leaving you, may I remind you of a sig• been highly successful in eluding detection. nal which Nelson hoisted on the masts of his V ships before the battle of Trafalgar: "England Train runs amok— About a dozen saboteurs expects every man to do his duty." You will do halted a train at Pieton (Hainaut) by pulling yours. I am sure that you will fulfill your moral down the red signal. Ordering the trainmen

[70] NEWS FEOM BELGIUM FEBEUAET 27, 1943

and the solitary passenger to alight, they forced don with the object of facilitating social con• the engine driver to set the train in reverse. tacts between Belgians, Luxemburgers and The empty engine and cars went back as far Dutchmen, and promoting the development of as Haine St. Pierre where they collided with a mutual relations between the three peoples. shunting engine. This engine and three carri• Lectures and conferences will be organized ages of the train were badly damaged and the on matters of cultural, economic and general line tied up for some time. interest to Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Lux• V ... — emburg and the Netherlands. Files on labor requisitioning set on fire— V A sentry in front of the Labor Office, Liege, Belgian pilots shoot down enemy planes was attacked and strangled by seven unknown over London— Two of the five enemy aircraft persons who then forced their way into the destroyed by the West Riding of Yorkshire building. They set fire to the premises at three Squadron on the day of the recent daylight raid different points, and burned the notices and files on London, when the Luftwaffe lost 14 ma• relating to the requisitioning of workers for de• chines, were shot dovm by two Belgian officer portation to Germany. pilots. V One of these victories was scored by a Bel• Executions announced— A Belgian patriot gian Flying Officer over the English Channel. named Edgar Lebon, charged with cutting tele• Diving from 800 feet, he intercepted one of two phone wires and disorganizing communications Focke-Wulf 190s and shot it dovm in flames between units of the army of occupation, has into the sea. been shot by the Germans. V The execution is also announced of Theophile Belgians work in British factories—In the Wynsberge, who was sentenced to death for es• workshop of the Royal Technical College at pionage by a court martial of the German Air Glasgow, amid the din of machinery, 132 young Force in Brussels. women, including several Belgians, are engaged V in the manufacture of metal plating for tanks, Mine machinery damaged by bombs — spare tool parts, brakes, and valve spindles for Damage has been caused in the machine room use in warships. at the Eysden mines in Belgian Limburg by Showing remarkable professional aptitude, four bombs placed there by saboteurs. the apprentices have achieved these results in The Germans, expecting trouble of some the first fortnight of an eight weeks course of kind, had strengthened the guard, but this did training. not prevent the saboteurs from carrying out Among the Belgians is a young woman who their plan. When the bombs exploded, four com• has twice been a refugee, having been bom in pressors were damaged and fire broke out. New Great Britain when her parents came to this machines have had to be ordered from Germany. country from Belgium during the war of 1914- Since this occurrence no stranger has been 1918. admitted to the mine premises, and the plant is surrounded by barbed wire fences. Belgians in Britain contribute their labor V to war effort— The Belgian Ministry of Labor Tank car explodes— A tank car containing and Social Security has issued a chart showing acetone which was being sent to a factory requisi• the employment at the end of December 1942 tioned by the Germans, blew up at the entrance of Belgians of both sexes in England who have to the railway yards at Athus, Belgium Lux• been registered for work. emburg. These figures show that the contribution made by refugees to the British war effort is sizeable. For men, outside of members of the diplo• 2. Belgium Abroad matic corps, the army, navy and government service, there are 5,813 registered Belgians, In Great Britain from 16 to 65 years of age, of which 453 are Belgo-Dutch Club formed in London— either physically unable to work or are exempt A Belgo-Dutch Club has been formed in Lon• for other valid reasons.

[71] NEWS FBOM BELGIUM FEBEUAET 27, 1943

Out of the remaining 5,360 men able to work, Prime Minister Pierre Dupong, Minister to 5,159, or 96 per cent, were employed at the end Washington Hughes Le Gallais and Commis• of December 1942. sioner of Information for Luxemburg Andre For the women, out of a total of 5,368 regis• Wolff. tered, 2,359 are working, which, subtracting Mr. Van Cauwelaert said that today, as 25 those physically unable to work or temporarily years ago, Belgium has refused to abdicate. exempt for family or other valid reasons, "Her army," he said, "after valiantly resisting leaves 77 per cent of the total number of Bel• for 18 days, was forced to lay down its arms. gian women working. But neither the King nor the Belgian Govern• ment nor any responsible authority signed an The Labor Bureau is continuing its activity armistice or treaty of submission." indefatigably and hopes that before long the four per cent of men and the 23 per cent of women who are not at present employed will also be contributing their part to the common war effort. 3. Belgian Congo V ••. — Congo coffee for Belgian patriots — A In the United States number of towns and villages in Belgium had a pleasant surprise a few weeks ago when DeFauw named musical director— Desire they found charming little bags of coffee upon DeFauw, Belgian violinist and formerly one of which labels, printed in Belgium's two national Europe's leading conductors, has been appointed languages, informed them that 'The Belgian Musical Director and Conductor of the Chicago Congo does not forget you. ' Symphony Orchestra. Dr. DeFauw has been Di• "Never," continues the label, "has the Bel• rector of Concerts Symphoniques in Montreal. gian Congo shared your feelings, your hatred, V your hopes, so closely. It is our Colony which, Mass for King Albert— A Mass was said at the request of the Ministry of Colonies, has sent you small quantities of its best coffee, and at St. Albert's Church, New York, on February you will surely have understood that this gesture 21, to the memory of King Albert of the Bel• is the expression of its attachment to you and gians. Ambassador Georges Theunis, President its solidarity. of the House of Eepresentatives Frans Van "Encircling the small bags is the banderole Cauwelaert, Luxemburg Prime Minister Du- with the interlaced flags of Belgium and the pong and many members of the Belgian colony Belgian Congo, which today represents a truer, were present. deeper image of reality. Father Eoosens, in an inspiring address, paid "To release these bags to you, the Belgian a moving tribute to King Albert and Queen Government found friends in the Air Ministry Astrid. and the E.A.F. who afforded them their closest collaboration. To you they brought coffee; farth• er on, they bring 4,000-pound bombs. And this Met pays tribute to Belgium and Luxem• is only the beginning, you may believe it. . . . " burg— An Opera Victory Eally was presented V ... — in tribute to Luxemburg and Belgium on Feb• ruary 20 at tbe Metropolitan Opera House dur• Second contingent of Greeks arrive in ing the intermission in the performance of Gus• Congo— A second contingent of 100 Greek re• tavo Charpentier's "Louise." The program was fugees has arrived at Usumbura all in good broadcast and among the speakers were Belgian health. They were immediately taken to a recep• tion center, and various articles of equipment Ambassador Extraordinary Georges Theunis, were issued to them. Later they left for Kiteca, Minister of State and President of the Belgian the chief town of the Urundi Residency, where Chamber of Eepresentatives Frans Van Cauwe• they will settle permanently. laert, and Jan-Albert Goris, Commissioner of The party was received by the President and Information for Belgium. Luxemburg was rep• the head doctor during their tour of inspection resented by the Grand Duchess Charlotte, of reception centers.

[72] U&fc