cruelties committed by its adversaries. The "Instructions for French
Officers in Wartime" also lay down, and will continue to lay down, that
they are to forbid their men to use bullets at variance with the
stipulations of the Geneva and Hague conventions.

* * * * *

[Illustration: ALBERT, KING OF THE BELGIANS]

THE BELGIAN MISSION.

Officially Explained to President Wilson at the White House,
Washington, Sept. 16.

His Majesty the King of the Belgians has appointed a special envoy for
the purpose of acquainting the President of the United States of America
with the deplorable state of affairs prevailing in Belgium, whose
neutrality has been unjustly violated, and who since the beginning of
hostilities has been the theatre of the worst outrages on the part of
the invading German Army, in defiance of rules solemnized by
international treaty and customs consecrated by public right and law of
nations.

Mr. Henry Carton de Wiart, Minister of Justice, has been chosen for this
mission. He is accompanied by Messrs. de Sadeleer, Hymans, and
Vandervelde, Ministers of State. Count Louis Lichtervelde is attached to
the mission as Secretary.

* * * * *

[Illustration: CARTON DE WIART,
Minister of Justice, Spokesman of the Royal Belgian
Commission to the United States.]

M. DE WIART'S ADDRESS.

Made to the President at the White House, Washington, Sept. 16.

Excellency: His Majesty the King of the Belgians has charged us with a
special mission to the President of the United States.

Let me say to you how much we feel ourselves honored to have been called
upon to express the sentiments of our King and of our whole nation to
the illustrious statesman whom the American people have called to the
highest dignity of the Commonwealth.

As far as I am concerned, I have already been able, during a previous
trip, to fully appreciate the noble virtues of the American Nation, and
I am happy to take this opportunity to express all the admiration with
which they inspire me.

Ever since her independence was first established, Belgium has been
declared neutral in perpetuity. This neutrality, guaranteed by the
powers, has recently been violated by one of them. Had we consented to
abandon our neutrality for the benefit of one of the belligerents, we
would have betrayed our obligations toward the others. And it was the
sense of our international ob