Addressed to the Royal Belgian Commission in the White House,
Washington, Sept. 16.
Permit me to say with what sincere pleasure I receive you as
representatives of the King of the Belgians, a people for whom the
people of the United States feel so strong a friendship and admiration,
a King for whom they entertain so sincere a respect, and express my hope
that we may have many opportunities of earning and deserving their
regard.
You are not mistaken in believing that the people of this country love
justice, seek the true paths of progress, and have a passionate regard
for the rights of humanity.
It is a matter of profound pride to me that I am permitted for a time to
represent such a people and to be their spokesman, and I am proud that
your King should have turned to me in time of distress as to one who
would wish on behalf of the people he represents to consider the claims
to the impartial sympathy of mankind of a nation which deems itself
wronged.
I thank you for the document you have put in my hands containing the
result of an investigation made by a judicial committee appointed by the
Belgian Government to look into the matter of which you have come to
speak. It shall have my utmost attentive perusal and my most thoughtful
consideration.
You will, I am sure, not expect me to say more. Presently, I pray God
very soon, this war will be over. The day of accounting will then come,
when, I take it for granted, the nations of Europe will assemble to
determine a settlement. Where wrongs have been committed their
consequences and the relative responsibility involved will be assessed.
The nations of the world have, fortunately, by agreement made a plan for
such a reckoning and settlement. What such a plan cannot compass, the
opinion of mankind, the final arbiter in such matters, will supply. It
would be unwise, it would be premature for a single Government, however
fortunately separated from the present struggle, it would be
inconsistent with the neutral position of any nation, which, like this,
has no part in the contest, to form or express a final judgment.
I need not assure you that this conclusion, in which I instinctively
feel that you will yourselves concur, is spoken frankly because in warm
friendship, and as the best means of perfect understanding between us,
an understanding based upon mutual respect, admiration, and cordiality.
You are most welcome and we are greatly honored that you should have
chosen us as the friends before whom you could lay any matter of vital
consequence to yourselves, in the confidence that your cause would be
understood and met in the same spirit in which it was conceived and
intended.
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