POLLING IN BELGIUM

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 126, 13 March 1950, Page 3

POLLING IN BELGIUM

RETURN OF KING EARLY FIGURES FAVOURABLE (N.Z.P. A.—Copyright) (Rec. 11.15) BRUSSELS, March 12. Polling on the referendum as to whether King Leopold should return to the Belgian Throne ended' at noon to-day, and counting began itn mediately. Tlie first, unofficial result came from a district in Antwerp, where GBO3 people voted in favour of Leopold’s return and 1445 against. As Leopold’s 22-year-old daughter, Princess • Josephine Charlotte, drove from the Palace to vote, crowds chanting “Leopold, Leopold,” broke through the police cordons. In Antwerp a time-bomb placed in front of ' the pro-Communist under- • ground movement headquarters was discovered by a guard, who put out * the wick in time.

In Liege, pro-Leopoldites dressed in old American army uniforms, many brandishing truncheons and bottles, attacked the anti-Leopold headquarters with a hail of bottles and stones. Both sides had motorised columns touring Liege during the night, pasting up their own propaganda and tearing down the opposition’s. In one clash, a pro-Leopold jeep was intercepted and overturned and the five occupants beaterf up. The first million votes in the referendum on Leopold’s return gave the exiled King over 71 per cent.—but there are still more than 4,000,009 votes to be counted.,

King Leopold has stated that he would regard it as a definite mandate for his return if 55 per cent, of the vates went in his favour. It is not"ciear in the first batch of figures available how many came from predominantly Catholic regions, where an overwhelming pro-Leopold vote was expected. The latest unofficial figures are: For King’s return .. 829,675 Against .. u.. 260,012 Blank papers .. 25,017