1959-10-03 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1959. ......

**Page 7

THE WOMAN WHO BROUGHT HAPPINESS TO A MONARCH AT HIS NATION'S DARKEST HOUR

A farewell kiss

(Continued from Pare 6)

This way, General," he saidh,

with studied politeness.

Muller stamped out of the room on his way to report to Hitler how he had reprimanded the king.

One day not long after their marrlege Léopold felt a pain in the side of his face, which soun Developed into a serious medical, —and later political-problem,

Operation

It was enured by an unusual malformation of the jaw, for which he had been treated before the

specialist.

war by n British

His Belgian doctors eald it would have to be operated on scon as posible, and the only doctors on the Continent thought qualifled to perform the opera- tion were a French

surgeon

and one in Vienna.

The Germans suggested that Leopold go to Vienna, end let

It be unclestood that this was the only admissible procedure

if he wanted to have the opera- tion performed at all.

Lfilane accompanied the king, to Vienna-os did the Gestapo, since this operation was con- mored to fall within the pro- vince of Heinrich Himmler rather thna. of The German Army.

During the three weeks that he was under surveillance after lile operation, Leopold was the able to open his mouth and could take only liquid nourish meal, through a straw,

Simple life

The treatment was successful. and when it was over the royal couple returned to Laeken.

But a few years later Lillane was to reprod having gone along

to be with her husband during his operation,

Leopold's opponents took up the cry that it had been a "honeymoon in Austria under the German ocenpalion."

as Gestapo men wait

GENEBAL VON FALKENHAUSEN

A protest, from Leopold ...

Life was largely centred about the wooden bungalow, about 30 by 25ft in over-all dimensio with an enclosed porch and a thatched roof.

In the living room the most elaborate object was a sofa silp-covered in bright chiniz. There was also a dining room, with a rustic table and few chairs, a bathrooni, and one bedroom.

The furnishings were simple. and atë frugally, The family

of the exploited the resources chateau grounds ro that food would not have to be brought in from the outside.

There was a small farm chleh

FAMILY OCCASION FOR FIVE

They are off to the christening of Leopold's first grandchild. With Leopold are Prince Alexandre son of Princess de Rethy) and Priner Albert (Queen Astrid's accond p90). Opposite King Baudouin and his stepmother.

Then, at last, the Allled forces streamed aèross the Charmel to the landing beaches mandy.

Liliane's speciality was bring- When a few Belgian politi-, to see them. By the time of, intention of leaving him there Ing in the hây, But she did not clans, inclined to

the alone. They remained. collaborate Alexandre's birth, however,

asked the war socmed to have left Brussels have to do it all by herself. In with the Germans.

and they had bee her characteristic gay manner, king to forms Government behind,

0 she told the children that hay under the occupation, Leopold brought back to Läcken.

answered: "I am making was wonderful fun... simply practically a game. and in prisoner of war," That ended it. a moment she had them all believing her The work was done in record time,

Argument

After the war there was much discussion About whether Leo pold had served his country

into exile. better by staying, than by going

*

**

*

A

Liliane's first child, Alexandre, was born 10 months after her morring

**

*

of Nor-

The Germans had made pre-

advance

to

Lillans now had her newly acquired family all together, parations far and began actively looking after spirit the king away if there scemed any danger of ani thon. In particular she began Allied advance towards Brussels. a programme of instruction In Their scheme went by the code sporta which they were all to

rkune of "Operation Bube." Shortly after the birth, the go though.

When the time to put it into other children were brought in

Since the grounds of Lacken effect arrived, the many, theore to see the new addition to the

covered more than 450 acres, tically guarding the king, faded family.

there

room for ber to away into WIG

incllectiveneDS, It "Maman," urked Josephine- exercise them in swimming, was the Gestapo, under the per- His presence in the country Charlotte, "may I be his god- riding, and golf.

sonal direction of Heinrich did have certain

advantages mother?""

Later on she would also teach Himmler, which took charge. which other kings might cor sider if they are ever faced with

Tho Utile princess had her them to drive a car. She also such a choice.

wish. When Prince Alexandre organised family amusements, was baptised, Josephine-Cher- to keep everyone occupied and lotle was has his godmother, and happy. his grandfather, "Henry was his godfather.

By intervening with the Ger man authorities, "the king was in many cases able to dampen the harshness of the occupation and to save the lives of condemned prisoners,

*

Bucks,

1

•

Air raids

At eight-thirty in the evening

of June 6, Kiewitz was obliged to inform the king that he would have to consider himself under arrest, and that he would be taken to Germany.

*

Leopold stated that he must On Christmas Day, 1942, the protest formally against this little re mensure, and demanded that During the

year of children put on first it difficult for the Germans to the children spent a good deal the role of the Christ-child.

And Leopold's presence made Liliane's

marriage to Leopold, Higious play, with Alexandre in General von Falkenhausen, Ger- man govertuir-general of Bel. gium and Northern France, set up a purppet Government of their time at the royal estate of Belgians, that is in the way of Ciergnon, in the Ardennes, Later they performed a play should be informed at once of they set up the Vichy Govern-

by one of Baudouin's his objection. written

**The RetuIT) ment in France.

professors called This could only be done, if they ousted him, which they

played the leading role.. were unwilling to do, since this They sometimes paid visits to long and Princess Liliane were

the king the would have aggravated their Lacken, though

and principal spectators

At midnight, General von vccupation problems.

never allowed to go to Ciergnon applauders. In this atmosphere Falkenhausen arrived at the the family could Ive almost palace. By this Une Leopold normally, and could sometimes had put his protest into writing, forget that just beyond the row and handed it to Kiewitz, who

supplied adlk and eggs. The young princes, when they were in Lackou, shed the pond for carp and freshwater ecls so diligently that often they were able to take a basket or two to the Petites Soeurs des Pauvres (Little Sisters of the Poor) near by,

distribution for

Back in Lecken, Liliane and her husband resumed the exist- ence of a quiet country family, heighbourhood.

in

considered

safer than the Brussels region because of the bombings.

of Erusanus," in which Baudrain 'I request...'

was the

Tablet from the Sky

IN 1903 a red-lettered pamphlet written in Chinese appeared on Hongkong streets. It forecast a calamity for the years 1906 or 1907, in which 80-90 per cent of the population would die.

On September 18, 1906 a typhoon hit the Colony and nearly 9,000 junk people met a violent death. Another 1,000-odd people throughout the Colony were also killed.

By

ANDREW SLOAN

af trees thane were helmeted passed it on to the commanding guards tramping up and down Leneral. It read as follows:-

But as the months passed, the war gain put its grip on Brussels.

Once more Allied DomOCES were appearing in the neigh- bourhood of Lacken. When the sirens counded, the princess hurried the' children down into the shelter of the chateau.

The king refused to come. He stood on the terrace watching

the

amt alrcraft

"I lodge the most categorical prutest against this measure. I will never agree to leave Belgium of my own free will, If there were any foundation for the argument that safety demands this move, I desire to make it plain that I would sce In that circumstance an t- perative reason for staying in my country and sharing the dangers of my people. I re- quest you to bring this protest most urgently, to the attention of the Government of the Retch,"

pectacle of elemental nature the wreckage of a pler, when the spectacle-the planes streak- mok; indifference alike to life he saw the small hands of aing the sky with vapour trails,

exploding and properly."

baby among the wreckage. Those were his feelings, but I He quickly leamed from some shells, the bright points of the

after General von Falkenhausen Fortunately the oracle who

calamity will strike them wonder what the feelings of the coolies that a large number of tracer bullets, and then,

office the

had been buried under the awesome crunching blast of read the protest, and then went macie

prediction

unsuspecting In the

workers, people down."

bombs, the Azmer were, who had already crossed the wreckage of the wharf, but the pamphlet was inaccurate:

and in to see the king. He informed There was no sirn of the harbour on their way to they could not shift the heavy smoke rising somewhere beyond him that the orders concerning But when it was over it was

weeping or walling......." Did remarked how philosophically the Chinese expect the big work. They had a wild mom- beams and twisted mem with the palace grounds. the Chinese hat takezi their

closed up out équipment, blow and its subsequent loss ing shung in their

Colonel Klewitz made one of what wondering

Two days later offices

was misfortunes. There was no sign of life?

Workmen on his formal calls on the lung to of weeping or wailing. One and

But to break away from con-

happening to their homes. typhoon struck.

clearing gaged on

up the suggest that I might be better all seemed to have left their lecture and look at the other

damage, downed tools and if the king, were now to move sorrows behind in order to be of side of the story. material assistance

made for the nearest shelter as to the Ardennes. the wind began to rise. In no themselves and others,

both to

Revelations"

this

In their reports, the South China Morning Post rather be

ttled the Observatory,

Ships Sunk

*

second

"By noon the storm oased off, "time this second. stor WAS whose the gangs of workmen were beating at the Colorry's doors. forecast for September 18, the quickly out on the streets clear- But 30 complete was the day the typhoon struck, reading the debris of trees, mud, damage caused by the first, that "variable winds moderate with rocks, telephone lines and water. the deprivations caused by the But the Chinese were not the some thundery showers."

Or the 47 ships in harbour at second were kille in comparison. only people affected by

were sunk, 21 Again more people died among typhoon, for

and rest the junk population community

11,000 mark, as far as could be ascertained from the old records.

two There were

or three slightly amusing asides to storm

lot?

of Hongkong lost

over

the the

this

the Protestant Hornet's Nest the time, six

driven ashore, and the their leader, His Lordship the In feet they stirred up quite damaged, sane of them irrepar- final death toll was

ably. Bishop

of Victoria, Bishop a hornet's nest. Their corres- Hoare, who was jost at

The Capadian Puclic Roll- spondence columns for the next while on his way to the New three weeks

are dolted with way's ship, the pride and joy of Territories

attacks against the Observatory. their feet, the 8,163-ton Mont- But what of this rod pamph for not giving earlier waming cagle, was grounded on an even

Concerna The first

Murray "Revelations letters from

of a typhoon, and still more leel in the basin of the Kow- It was entitled,

Pier. The pier had been cut in The Observatory loon Depot. from Heaven As a sort of director defending Jmself.

During the morning, with the half by a junk which had sunk Introductory paragraph, this was At 8 a. it began to drizzle. first high winds, she had broken after collision. Only the section what the unknown prophet be At 8.30 am. the barometer adrift, called with two French in the sea remained--"sting lieved to have been a Buddhist fell and the

destroyers, torpedo-boat

the in solitude 1oo a Bomewhat signal that N monk, wrote: "In the 20th year typhoon was 300 miles away,

Fronde and Francisque, and ́dilapidated diving platform, sur- of Kwangsir (1903) in the went up at the Observatory, carried then along with her, mounted querall by a twisted Cheng's family village, during About 15 minutes later the The Franclaque received the lump-post (.) a thunderstorm, there fell typhoon gun boomed its message came treatment as the Mont- Secondly, the Star Ferry had tablet from he sky,"

over the Colony that a typhoon eagle, but the Fronde was not shortly before the storm, fitted "The tablet contained # was imminent.” At that ilme so lucky. The Frande, just as their Hongkong pier with a prayer (reprodused in the this was the only method they she reached slightly south of the beautiful how corrugated iron pamphlet) and during the had of warning everybody of the camber of the Kowloon Depot, roof. But the storm.crushed it falling of this tablet a volco stormL

was fed on a huge wave and into all shapes and part of it

·was beard to say: “Owing to Hardly had the echoes of umashed into the depot wall was fattened over the wharf

warrant like an old bonnet " . the cannon shot died away. Three of the ship's

Blake Pler when orolonio winds began officers and an able-adaman lost Then there' was to whip the ses into hure their Hves in the crash and the Some two yours earlier a com

total wreck, pailtion, had been held for a waves, and tear into the Fronde was Colony,

although some of her more roof design for Biako Pier, the Sitting in the Hongkong Club, valuable equipment was sul» prize for the winning design who would die in the esiamity well-shuttered against wind and vared.

the great wickedness of the

land 30 to 90 per cent' of the people will have to, suffer death."

The voice went on to say, the ponyhot claimed that, those

Buried

There

-urore, over junka. irrespective of

2,000 makin

would be those who despise rain, one correspondent watched orphans, terrorise the weak, ore the storm through the venetian unfilial, cheat, at, weights, and stats,

the noise made by the ineasures, are avaricious, Blaughter cattle and who waste elements as they swept in blind- the five gmine (rice, barley, ing duny from west to cast, TE- - · pana, in the harbour, Moto

Cihan kundr ` of, them. Wore A wheat etc)..

Dembled to near, as possible the The volse also said,' it was danfening noise of a midnight smashed to pieces or sank. claimed, that a massenger" had mepreases ronring throught.

Even more received tbs, seine been sent to earth to record the turmet.",

treatment the typhoon names at all those who should “It was : impossible to sostiblers, “where - Sho dandily be destyd

„much outside. It seémoɖ ne" if `swells lifted them and seinak- #Thow or he do nói Bolleve the clouds had opened up and... nd liens inte, sanh sther,. and those who ridiosla' thane let the rain fall mold."

One mix who wezt over to

ม

rbwelatlong", "westche: the ́yenes "I was wonderful, terrible, Kowloon, Jons after the attiren. 1989-- and 10-1907) when the pathetic, get "grand tlife said tie was walking alotia nORE

being: 1200. Work on replacing the old roan had been constantly The plog-holed because of

But the typhoon saw to Mit that the new roof, went on because it blew the old; roof of and it wAI NEDETT Bęcit again

NEXT WEEK-

Three Hours of

·Terror.

his transfer

had

come fromR

superior authority, direct from German headquarters, and he could do nothing.

The king thereupon drafted ü message the Belgian people and handed it to the head of his But Leopold refused to Bave office staff to be made public. the capital, and Liliane had no This statement read:

MONOREX

Created by the technicians of Erismann-Schinz S. A.

-La Neuveržis, Switzerland.

"Belgiana:

J

At free o'clock the next mori- "The German authoritida ing, June 7, on the steps of the have decided upon my removal Chateau of Lackon, Leopold to Germany. I have protested embraced Liliane and stepped energetically, I would have into the car which was waiting preferred, to share your trials for him. Thon Liliane, weeping, and your analetics to the end. lockert herself in her room

that no one would see how "My thoughts do not leave worried and forlorn she felt.

NEXT WEEK:

vothy

Be, courageous, confident, and above ali united.

"God will continue to prom fect Belgium and blil soon bring peace, harmony, and liberty.

"I have faith in the destiny of our country,"

IN A GESTAPO FORTRESS

-(London Express' Service).

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