scenes--men and women, boys and girls, reeling about the streets,
shouting, singing, quarrelling, and behaving in the most disgraceful
way. It is quite different from Germany, where every boy knows he must
be trained to defend his country, and where almost everyone is proud
of being a soldier.

If, however, the father of a boy who has drawn an unlucky number is
rich enough to pay for another to take his place, he may do so. This
system is called the _Remplacement_, and almost every father buys his
son off if he can afford it. Many Belgians think this system unfair,
and the officers of the army do not like it. Perhaps, before very
long, there may be a change, and a new law made by which all boys will
have to serve for a certain time. The Catholics have always been in
favour of the _Remplacement_, while the Liberals have been against it.
But it is said that the King wishes to abolish it, and try some new
plan. So very likely the Catholics will give in, and there will be no
more drawing of lots and buying off, but a system of universal
service, which will be a very good thing for Belgium.

Though the trade of Belgium is very large indeed for the size of the
country, the Belgians have no navy, and not many merchant-ships. But
they have lately plunged into an adventure which may force them to
have merchant-ships and men-of-war to defend them; for this small
country has taken possession of a huge part of Central Africa, ever so
many times bigger than Belgium itself.

About twenty-five years ago Leopold II., the present King of the
Belgians, was made ruler over this part of Africa, which is called the
Congo State, because of a magnificent river, the Congo, which flows
through it. It was the Great Powers of Europe who made him ruler, and
they made him promise that he would abolish slavery, allow all nations
to trade freely there, and do all he could to civilize the natives.
But after some time ugly stories began to reach Europe about what was
being done by King Leopold's servants in that distant part of the
world. The Congo is a country full of rich products, and it was said
that the King was breaking his promises: that he was making heaps of
money by forcing the natives to work as slaves, that all their lands
were taken from them, that people were cruelly tortured, that whole
villages were destroyed, that the soldiers hired by King Leopold were
cannibals, and that he would not allow free trading.

There is no doubt whateve