SOCIALISTS TEARING BELGIUM TO PIECES

By W. J. IGOE In the person of Leopold Ui the whole principle of constitutional Monarchy is on trial this week in the Belgian Parliament.
In the debate Van Acker did not explain the cause of the crisis. It has been occasioned by the alemand of a minority that Leopold should give up his throne. Should the King how to the demands ef a met) ? Abtlicetion tvo-uld be going against the wisbes the majority of the Belgian people. In a subsequent part of his speech Van Acker admitted that " the King has no longer the support of a considerable proportion of the country. though the majority might be favourable to him. The fact that a considerable part of public opinion considered him unfit to reign was sufficient to justify his removal e ."
It has repeatedly been asserted that the whole Flemish community, twothirds of the people of the country, stand squarely behind the King, In The CATHOLIC HERALD during the past month, basing my opinions strictly on news from Belgian citizens, I have said that a proportion of the Walloons are also King's men. This statement hes not been denied. What does the Prime Minister of Belgium mean by a "part " of the Belgian people 7 The Communists of Britain are avowed enemies of our monarchy. They are a " part " of the British people. Are we prepared to say, that their 1:rectifier opinions are " sufficient to justify the King's removal " 7 The first accusation against the King was that he refused to go abroad with his Goverturtent to carry on the fight. It might be suggested at this point that the spate of trials now being conducted in Europe would be considerably clarified if there were some means of divining if all those who left their countries went abroad to " carry DE the fight" or just went it-broad.
A few months ago the Prime Minister of Belgium veas foremost among Those who were criticising the London Government—composed of those who went abroad—as mectionary." He. was one of those who brought down the admit).istration of M. Pierlot, If the King had " gone abroad " he would have been beaten with a different stick, but, an equally effective one. He would then have been clescribetf as a " deserter."
" Faced with German invasion," con