BELGIUM TACKLES KING PROBLEM

Wanganui Chronicle, 24 March 1950, Page 5

BELGIUM TACKLES KING PROBLEM

BRUSSELS, March 22 (Recd. 7.40 p.m.)—"Wise and honoured statesmen” eff Belgium's Privy Council, hurriedly called to a secret emergency meeting, will tackle tomorrow the royal problem that has split thhe country. Ministers of State in the supreme consultative body will assemble at 4 p.m. G.M.T. in a room of the Brussels Royal Palace to seek a way out of the crisis over whether King Leopold should return to the throne from his exile in Switzerland. At their 'head is the Council’s oldest member, 80-year old Count Henri Carton de Wiart, Catholic ex-Premier, who today took up the task of forming a Government.

In another wing of the Palace lives Prince-Regent Charles, who is King Leopold’s brother, but he will not attend the meeting of his constitutional advisers. Thirteen of the Ministers of State are Catholics—supporters of King Leopold’s return —seven are Socialists who oppose it ,and eight are Liberals, who are divided on the issue. One of the Liberals, Camille Gutt, chairman of the International Monetary Fund in Washington, was flying from the United States to attend the meeting. Count de Wiart took over the Cabinet-forming task from Gaston Eyskens, Catholic caretaker Prime Minister, whose Catholic-Liberal coalition resigned on March 18 after a disagreement on means to reach a Parliamentary decision on the Royal problem. He was not expected to begin Cabinet consultations until after today’s Privy Council meeting. Supported by a 57.6 per cent, vote in the nation-wide referendum 11 days ago. King Leopold has asked Parliament to meet in joint session to decide whether to end the present Re-gency-of Prince Charles.