'ribune, Oot.29 1939 King&eopold Pledges Fight Onanlnvader Belgian Monarch Asserts Nation Will Resist if It Is Attacked, as in 1914 Calls Present Army 10 Times Stronger pes U. S. Will Support Him'for Good of Peace in Civilization's Service? The address at the fifth session oh "Belgium? by Leopold III, King o) the Belgians, in a broadcast from Brussels, fottofos: I am honored by speaking from the same platform as your great President When the Forum kindly asked me to give a short message to the American nation. I accepted this invitation with pleasure. My compatriots; my family and X have many dear and faithful memories of the United States. No Belgian can forget the solace and efficient aid that the American peo- ple extended to.the Belgian popu- lation by leading;/.the relief of its needs during years of stress. - The topic that was suggested to "¦me was "A Call In the Defense of 'Civilization:" I regard this sugges- tion as a compliment to my country. . It Implies a recognition of the dis- tinguished place that Belgium has held throughout: the history of the Western World. Belgium has al- ways been looked upon as a foun- tain head of Christian civilization. Convinced that my country is act- ing In the defense of this civiliza- tion" by the attitude It has taken amidst the conflict that has broken out in Europe, I fed I may confine my remarks to clarifying to my Amrlcan audience Belgium's po- sition in this war—a position en- tirely consistent with the will, the courage and the Integrity of my people. Frontiers Guaranteed In my capacity of head of ./t he Belgium state. I welcome this' op- portunity of setting -but clearly the following facts: In 1937 we made known our policy of independence, and each of our three great neighbors acknowledged this notification. They went further, spontaneously giving us a definite assurance that they would respect Belgium's frontiers and insure her' independence. . I This led up logically to the declara- tion of neutrality which my govern- ment made at the beginning of the present war. An attitude of neutral- ity Is, moreover, In keeping both with the. traditions and aspirations of the Belgian people, whose feel- ings have £ evolved,;;frbm agelong struggles. The Belgian nation, which ii'thY rery Incarnation of the sense of ln- llvldual liberty, gave its blood to win Its Institutions In an unflinching de- termination to remain itself. , Neutrality also Is vital to my'ooun- try. Belgium, whose territory Is small but one of the most thickly populated in the world, essentially depends for her very subsistence on the activities of her Inhabitants. These activities In turn require a continuous flow of her export trade and unhindered importation of food and industrial supplies. Peace is thus for the Belgian people a mat- ¦of life and death. No Territorial Ambition re have no ambitions for terri- torial expansion. Neither had we any part whatever in the happen- ings that brought about the conflict today dividing Europe. If we be- came involved In the fray, it Is on our soil that the issue would be fought out, and In view- of the small, size of our territory, that would aped utter destruction for-Belgium, what! ever the issue of the war. Side by side with Holland, Bed glum stands for an island of peace in the interests of-.aH. At the cross? roads of the borders of the' great west European powers, Belgium; neutral, loyal, and strong as she i§> today, fulfills an essentially peaceful mission. She sets a limit to the fighting front and to the loss of human life. She stands amongst other neutral states for a stronghold of peace, and an agent of that ap- peasement which alone can save our civilization from the abyss into which a world war would throw it ' We fully know our rights and our duties. We await the future with steadfast serenity and a clear con- science which nothing can perturb. We are prepared to exert our entire strength in order to uphold our In- dependence. Exactly twenty-five years ago, day for day, the Belgian Army un- der the command of my father, King Albert, arrested after a hard battle the progress of a cruel Inva- sion. If we were attacked, and pray God this may not happen, in vio- lation of the solemn and definite undertakings that were given us In 1037, and wore renewed at the out- set of the present war. we would not hesitate to fight with the same con- victlon, but with forces ten times stronger. Once again, a single* | minded nation would support Its army, But We cannot believe that tl:p belligerents would fall to respect our neutrality. We trust In the word they have given us and havo pro- claimed before the world, just as they may rely on our loyalty from which, following the example set by my beloved father, I am resolved I never to swerve as the sovereign of la free and gallant people. In conclusion let me express the hope that the American nation, to whom we feel so closely drawn by lies of common aspirations and by the similarity of our Institutions, will encourage and support .lis in the attitude we have adopted for ths good of peace In the service of civilization, t