Two Kings, Two Countries

Two Kings, Two Countries

Two kings dined informally at Buckingham Palace last week, each the constitutional sovereign of a democratic country, yet utterly different in status from one another. The status of England's King is such that for him to go abroad and negotiate with a foreign state would automatically create a "Constitutional Crisis," with alarmed British politicians Hell-bent for abdication. The status of the King of the Belgians is such that last week brown-haired young Leopold III, unaccompanied by any of the Belgian Cabinet, arrived in London to negotiate in person with the British Government vital issues as to Belgium's role and defenses in case of another war.

Alighting from an ordinary railway carriage, the King of the Belgians drove straight to his Embassy in London. There Leopold III had in to dinner that night British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, British Opposition Leader Major Clement Attlee, a few such fascinating British parliamentary figures as Winston Churchill, plus a British Foreign Office contingent: Mr. Eden, Lord Cranborne, Mr. Orme Garton Sargent, etc. etc. After vigorous general discussion at table, King Leopold later in the evening drew aside and got down to cases with the British expert on the issues in question, Mr. Orme Sargent.

The issues: 1) Since Adolf Hitler has let it be known that any further British-French-Belgian staff talks will be taken amiss in Berlin and regarded as lining up Belgium in an alliance against Germany, shall Der Fuehrer be appeased? 2) Do the British and French intend to join in defending a Belgium once more attacked by Germany? 3) In case German bombers bound for Britain are heard by Belgians roaring over their country, will that constitute a "violation of Belgium" and would the Belgians instantly tip off the British what was coming? 4) What about the Belgian territories in East Africa, cattle-growing Ruanda and Urundi, onetime Imperial German colonies, upon which, most Belgians believe, Nazi Germany now has designs about which the British know a great deal?

Day after the royal Belgian Embassy dinner, King Leopold limousined around to the Foreign Office, negotiated for several hours, then dined at Buckingham Palace, resumed his dealings with British statesmen on the third day, at last returned briskly to Brussels, his capital. In official British circles it was intimated that informal agreements had been reached all along the line. Some of these will be implemented in treaty form, and for purposes of signing Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden may go to Brussels. Apparently the Belgian King and British statesmen are satisfied that:

P:Hitler will have to be humored to the extent that there will be no more British-French-Belgian staff talks.

P:The British and French, in case Belgium is attacked by Germany, must join its defense as in 1914.

P: The Belgians constitute themselves a "listening post'' for enemy bombers flying over Belgium in any direction; if French bombers take the offensive, Brussels must warn Berlin.

P:The British have their fingers crossed on nothing more firmly than on the whole issue of whether or not the Great Powers shall let Adolf Hitler snatch a chunk of Africa as the lesser evil to his snatching a chunk of Europe. In other words the British are decided about "Hands off Belgium!", undecided about "Hands off the Belgian Congo!"

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