PRIMATE'S DEFENCE OF KING LEOPOLD

Full Text Shows King Made No Treaty With Nazis
Our Former Belgian Correspondent
I have received from a friend in Belgium a copy of the original text of Cardinal van Roey's Pastoral Letter, which was read in every church in Belgium on June 2, the Sunday following the capitulation of the Belgian Army.
The Primate of Belgium courageously defends Leopold HI, King of the Belgians, against the campaign of calumny launched against him.
The publication of this letter comes a propos in face of the suggestion made in the National Press last week for the removal of King Leopold's banner from St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Such an act would be a heinous thing. It would cause a breach In the good feelings existing between Great Britain and Belgium which a century will not repair, and would condemn King Leopold unheard.
1 he calumny campaign against the King
of the Belgians is having a free run. The British national Press is all one-sided in its view.
A new book, " The Campaign in the Low Countries," by Lord Strabolgi, repeats the foul reports of the Press against his honour, even though King Leopold, who holds himself voluntarily a prisoner in his Laeken castle, has refused to negotiate with the foe.
THE CARDINAL'S WORDS The Cardinal wrote:
The King has kindly consented to receive L's and has permitted to be made -public the three following declarations: I. The decision he had to take on the morning of May 28 to lay down arms. was imposed by the situation of the Belgian Army, which had become untenable.
Irremediably encircled, without hope of effective help from the Allies, our troops, if they had continued to fight on, were quite simply condemned to extermination. for no useful military purpose, involving in their fate the hundreds of thousands of civilians crowded into a tiny part of the country.
By defending our territory up to its extremest limit and by not surrendering until the moment when all its power of resistance was fully spent. the Army has accomplished its duty to the full; its honour, therefore, is unsullied.
MILITARY DECISION
" The King took this decision, essentially military in nature, as Supreme Chief of the Belgian Army in full agreement with his staff and upon the reports made by it.
He performed no political act: he con• eluded no treaty whatsoever, not even military, with the enemy. He has not, therefore, violated the Belgian Constitution in soy was. He has acted in the consietion, corroborated by the concurring opinion of three eminent Belgian jurists, that he had the right to do so in virtue of the powers which the Constitution confers on the King in this matter.
It was, moreover. an impossibility for him to have recourse to his Ministers, the last four of whom had left Belgian territory on May 25.
Ill. It is contrary to the truth to maintain that the command of the Allied Forces was not made aware of the untenable situation and of the necessity for it to cease fighting. The odious accusation of treachery falls false.
At the last moment, the King, as a certain person urged him to do, could have taken to the air and found refuge in a foreign country. He has preferred to share the lot of his soldiers and the sufferings of his people: this we deem more chivalrous and all to his honour. These facts being such as they are, and set forth in these Royal declarations, on which it will he easy to throw complete light, by other testimony of authority, ought to dissipate the evil misunderstanding which has inspired certain inconsiderate words and certain regrettable attitudes.
For our part, knowing ourself to be in agreement with the sentiments of the mass of the Belgian people practically unanimous, we maintain our respect, our fidelity and our confidence in our King.
We beg our priests to continue to recite the liturgical prayers prescribed for the King. We invite the faithful to recommend unceasingly in their prayers to God and in their communions, the cause of the King, and at the same time the safety of the Petrie (Father
la
We would wish that all Belgians fully aware of the gravity of the present hour remain united and of one mind around the King, the supreme personification of the Patr fie, let us danger.
lit be persuaded that we are at this moment assisting at an exceptional act of Divine Providence who manifests His power by enormous events in face of which we fet More than e
s e lvvecsr , verylet ss confide, I.
More than e Mte h fide, therefore, in the Infinite Mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and say with the Psalmist: " Even if we walk in the Shadow of Death, we fear no ill, for God is with us."
41 J. E. CARDINAL VAN ROM Archbishop of Malines.