MOSTNATURAL
ROYALCOUPLE
VISIT AMERICA
When King Albert and Queen Eliza
beth of Belgium came to the United
I
States a few days ago, the world’s
most democratic nation took special
pleasure in extending its hospitality
to the world’s most democratic royal
ties.
For if Iver a king and queen justi
fied their existence according to the
sternest standards of modern critics,
it is this pair, who, for four and a half
years of their country’s agony, fought
with their people, lived with their peo
ple, shared with their people the dan
gers, the hardships, the endurance, the
labors of the worst and gTteate&t of
wars.
Other royalties took shelter far from
the firing line, and served their coun
try by putting the palace on a prohi
bition basis for the duration of the
war, and by pinning medals graciously
on the breasts of mutilated heroes
from the trenches. Albert and Eliza
beth never left their armies.
King Took Personal Command
In August, 1914, King Albert indig
nantly refused to treat with the Ger
mans who asked him for a right of
way to crush France, called Belgium
to the colors through a ringing mes
sage to both houses of parliament, and
took personal command of the Belgian
armies.
He served at the gallant defense of
Liege, and when the kaiser sent him
a personal message demanding the sur
render of its forts and threatening to
take them by force, Albert responded
laconically, “Try.”
He was at Louvain, and with the
dauntless Belgian army in its stub
born fighting retreat.
He directed the resistance of Ant
werp during its bombardment. While
leading the army toward Antwerp
shrapnel burst ten yards away from
his car, tearing off the rear wheels.
He ascended repeatedly in a bal
loon for military observation and was
shelled by the enemy. 1
“I will never leave my army,” he de
clared at this time, and in the next
few years he lived up to his promise.
After the fall of Antwerp, in the
fighting near the coast, he was contin
ually among his men, encouraging
them and sharing their risks and dis
comforts. “My skin is of no more
value than is yours,” he smilingly told
his staff when they urged him to leave
the trenches and seek safety. “My
place is on the firing line.”
He/was stubborn in his defense of
the last few square miles of his coun
try, where he and his army stood with
their back to the sea.
He did not remove his headquarters
from Furness until the shrapnel had
practically wrecked the building. One
shell exploded within a few feet of
a window near which he was sitting.
“He has no dwelling,” someone ;
wrote of him a few weeks later. “He
does not quit his soldiers. “He eats
the ordinary fare, changing his shirt
when he can, works eighteen hours a
day, and has slept four nights running
on the cushions of his automobile.”
At about this time his role was
nobly pictured in one of Punch’s car
toons, w'hich showed Albert and the
kaiser side by side, surveying a rav- ]
aged land.
“Well, sire, you have lost every
thing,” William observeed, sardonic
ally.
And Albert answered, “Not my
soul!”
All through the bitter winter of
1915 he went from his headquarters
at La Panne to point after point along
:he Belgian front—wherever the fire
svas heaviest—as much in peril of
svounds or death as any common sol
4
lier.
In the first twelve months of the
ivar his chauffeur, bribed heavily, at
:empted to take him inside the Ger
nan lines, and, according to the story,
King Albert shot the man dead with
lis own hand.
The perfect simplicity of his manner
and his quiet cordiality have been
loted alike by correspondents and sol
liers. One of our men came back
vith a charming story of how Albert
n his plane made a landing near the
American’s post and asked him for a
natch.
“I had heard of ‘Albert’s chariot,’ ”
he American said, “and I thought I
■ecognized the face. So I said, ‘Aren’t
rou the king of the Belgians?”’
“I’m Albert,” was the monarch’s
natter-of-fact reply. And he passed
lis cigarettes.
His first speech in Brussels after
lis joyous and triumphant entry last j
November contained a promise of j
nqual suffrage.
His Second Visit
His visit to America, by the way, is
lis second sojourn in this country. Be
ing the nephew of his royal predeces
sor, and not the direct heir, his youth
ivas infinitely freer than that of most
rulers, and he traveled widely, “learn
ing of cities and men.” He came to
this country, was entertained in New
York, and made a special inspection
of our railroad systems under James
J. Hill, and of the oil plants in Bay
onne, and other industries.
The Queen’s War Activities
His wife, Queen Elizabeth, has an
equally fine war record. When the
Belgians were expelled from Brussels
she first took to the home of Lord Cur
zon. in England, her three children—
,1 T.ormnlrl tlion 13 vPFirc nf
Prince Charles, 11, and Princess Marie
Jose, 8.
She set up her home in the simplest
and most unpretentious of seaside
villas at La Panne, a village in the
tiny strip of Belgium just behind the
firing line, which never fell into the
enemy’s hands. This became known
to the Germans as the headquarters
of Albert and Elizabeth, and was sub
jected to incessant aerial bombard
ment.
She immediately opened a large hos
pital, containing 1,600 beds, in what
had been the Hotel de l’Ocean at La
Panne. Being only two hours from
the trenches, all the worst cases were
taken to this hospital.
She not only superintended its op
eration, but she herself spent long
hours in a Red Cross uniform, caring
■ .. — . - - . .... ■
for and cheering her wounded country
men. Before her marriage she had
done a most unprincesslike thing—she
had studied medicine at Leipzig and
won a doctor's degree there.
She gave up the services of all the
ladi.es of her personal suite and ar
ranged for them to become war nurses.
She several times reviewed troops
while enemy planes were flying over
head, likely to begin bombing at any
moment.
She visited the Belgian soldiers in
the trenches, often going to parts of
the line under shell fire.
She made at least one trip in a Bel
gian plane over the German lines, and
frequently crossed the channel by
plane to visit her children.
She followed close on the heels of
the retreating German army last fall
in order to be of succor to the wretch
ed refugees. /
While the Germans were still in the
outskirts of Ostend she entered the
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it was momentarily in danger of be
ing sunk by the German artillery fire,
and she was giving aid to Belgian civil
ians in Ostend while the city was
within shell range of the withdrawing
enemy.
A Bavarian Princess
Although before her marriage she
was a Bavarian princess, no suspicion
of pro-Germanism flecked her loyalty
to Belgium during the entire war.
When some daring soul asked her
how she felt toward her German
mother and other relatives, her blue
eyes flashed as she answered: “Be
tween them and me there is a curtain
of steel.”
Young Prince Leopold and Prince
Charles before the end of the war were
put into uniforms and brought back
to Belgium by their parents, the older
boy, according to the dispatches, go
ing with his father to the ugh ting
front.
Ts it not a truly “royal” record?!
asks a Washington correspondent of
the Associated Press, who sends the
above story.
COAL PRICES
Owing to a raise in the freight rates
on coal and also the price of coal at
fliA mino ck P'crrPP’j* tin HPT ton.
the following schedule of prices on
coal takes effect today for the town
of Cordova:
Per ton
Loads, not east of Second st...$17.50
Ton loads east of Second st... 18.00
Ton loads, Third avenue. 18.50
Ton loads, Fourth avenue. 19.00
Half-ton bulk, Second avenue.. 10.00
Half-ton bulk, Third and Fourth
avenues .10.50
Ton sacked coal . 21.00
Ton sacked coal, Third avenue 21.50
Ton sacked coal, Fourth avenue 22.00
Half-ton sacked, Second avenue 11.00
Half-ton sacked, Third avenue 11.25
Half-ton sacked, Fourth avenue 11.50
Single sack, Second avenue... 1.55
Single sack, Third avenue. 1.60
Single sack, Fourth avenue.... 1.65
ALASKA TRANSFER CO.
September 29, 1919.
NEWSE
Tonight at 8 Sharp
MAY ALLISON
In the Five-Act Comedy Drama
HER
INSPIR
ATION
An Amusing Plot—One that You Will Enjoy
Mr. D. Fairman at the Organ
TOMORROW
Jack Pickford in “The Spirit of ’17”
Mack Sennett Comedy “Love Loops the Loop”
PATHE NEWS
Special
Attention
to
We are buying all kinds of furs
and will pay the highest prices. Don’t
send your furs Outside before you
see me. We also make up all kinds
of furs and remodel in the latest
styles. They will be made right here.
Satisfaction guaranteed.
L. M. STEEINE, Tailor.
In connection with F. N. Hubbert.
)
_
Arrived Last Boat
CHILDREN'S STOCKINGS
Plain, three pairs for $1.00
Drummer Boy, 50c
LADIES’—Silk, 50c and 75c
LADIES’—Plain, 3 for $1.00
Children’s Dresses, $2.00 up.
Tablecloths on sale yet.
THE REGENT
(MRS. J04HN NELSON)
Across St. from Modern Laundry
KLIN IN Y HULDhIN'b
Pool and Billiard Parlors
CIGARS, SOFT DRINKS AND TOBACCO.
FIRST-CLASS BARBER SHOP
IN CONNECTION
j MUSIC EVERY NIGHT PHONE 15
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The Flavor Lasts! L
Fifty-Fifty Pacific Fleet Is New Naval Policy
r HE departure of the Pacific fleet marks an epoch in American naval history.
For the first time the naval force has been divided with exactly half of its
power assigned to guard the western seaboard. For the first time also the
siruiegu; vtiiut; ui mt; cuuui is iu ue
fully tested when Admiral Hugh Rod
nan moves his armada through to Pa
cific waters. And for the first time
Americans of the for West are to see
with their own eyes the full pomp and
power of the navy that has been their
pride for years. The main base of the
Pacific fleet will be in Puget sound,
Washington.
The composition of the Pacific
fleet tells its own story. The three
most modern shins of the line in the
navy, the New Mexico, Idaho and Mississippi, are headed west. Not since
President Roosevelt sent the Atlantic fleet to girdle the globe have the people
of California, Oregon and Washington seen in their harbors a more powerful
and modern fighting craft than the old hero ship Oregon, long out of date and
holding her place on the navy list only because of her valiant record. Beside
the 30,000 ton flagship of the Pacific fleet the Oregon will be almost a pigmy,
and against even the speed of more than 17 knots, w'hich made the old ship
queen of the navy for years, Rodman’s main fleet, his eight big ships, can
maintain about 21 knots for hours at a time, while his destroyers can turn up
35 knots.
The sailing of the great fleet marks a complete change in naval policy.
Not while the German fleet existed or while German eyes were leveled cov
etously at the rich and undeveloped resources of South and Central America
could American naval strength have been divided.
1 CRANE SERVICE MINING EQUIPMENT PIPE AND FITTINGS MARINE SUPPLIES
MANUFACTURERS, JOBBERS AND REBUILDERS GENERAL j
1 NOTICE.—We are now located in our new build jng at the Ocean Dock
I HARMON MACHINERY COMPANY, INC. 1
1 CORDOVA. ALASKA