S-s-s-s-s-s

In Brussels as at Paris many a Communist thinks it sport to profane the Sacred Flame at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Sometimes the scalawag does it alone. But more typical is a profanation party which starts in some low cafe. Primed with as much beer as possible, the Communists set out for the Tomb in small groups.

If they escape notice they gather suddenly around the Sacred Flame and vent their spite in an effort not only to profane but to extinguish. With tolerance and discretion the Government of France ignores and hushes up such incidents. An official hastily re-lights the gas and the Sacred Flame is supposed to burn again as pure as ever at Paris. In Brussels, however, a far different attitude was taken last week by Most Catholic and beloved King Albert.

Recently profaned in the usual way, the Sacred Flame of Belgium seemed to His Majesty so thoroughly polluted that he decreed a national ceremony for its purification. Present to assist grave, scandalized King Albert last week were petite intellectual Queen Elizabeth, tousle-headed, schoolboyish Crown Prince Leopold, his svelt, sophisticated wife Crown Princess Astrid,* and his softspoken, softer-eyed sister Princess Marie Jose (Jan. 8, 1930, was announced last week as the day she will wed Italy's mincing-mannered but courageous Crown Prince Umberto [TIME, Nov. 4]).

To rekindle the Flame nine torches were ready. They had been lit the day before in the farthest villages of Belgium's nine provinces. War veterans had carried them in "Sacred Relays" to Brussels--no great distance since the remotest edge of the kingdom is only 114 miles away. While the last nine relay runners panted and held their flaming torches high, King Albert laid a huge wreath of purifying chrysanthemums around the polluted orifice. Then with a loud S-s-s-s-s the gas was turned full on. Simultaneously the runners thrust their torches into it "as a symbol of purification and reparation." Flash!--and once more Belgium had a Sacred Flame.

*Swedish and a Protestant, she at first was booed by rural Belgian prudes because she puffed cigarets in public. Mother of a girl-babe, she is tolerably popular.