855.01/23
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)
The Belgian Ambassador67 and M. Theunis,68 accompanied by Mr. Moffat,68a came in to see me, at their request. They had hoped to see Mr. Welles, but were unable to do so.
Both, and particularly M. Theunis, were obviously in a high state of agitation.
They handed me the attached statement69 announcing that M. Pier-lot69a considered that the surrender of the King of the Belgians was contrary to the views of the Belgian government, and that the government proposed to carry on the war.
[Page 210]I asked what they considered was the present status of the Belgian government.
The Ambassador answered that they considered that the Belgian government was intact, and was functioning at Paris. The King was How a prisoner and therefore could not now exercise his rights as king. For the time being, all constitutional rights and powers devolved on the government.
The Belgian constitution provided that in such case Parliament should be assembled and a regent appointed. Plainly, Parliament could not assemble. By consequence, it was expected that the government would carry on.
M. Theunis was bitter at the French for casting the whole blame of the northern defeat on the Belgians, adding that it was not the Belgian line that had broken, but the French line, at Sedan. It was like the French, he said, to take all the credit if things went well and blame their neighbors if things went badly.
He was likewise critical of the King.
I said that we were slow to pass judgment here, knowing of the great strain; but that we sympathized with their difficulties, and took note of his declaration. It appeared, during the course of the conversation, that the two gentlemen had been in touch with the Belgian Ambassador at London; and with the Belgian Minister of Finance in Paris, from whom they had confirmation of the fact that the Belgian government had unanimously determined against the King’s capitulation, but he had capitulated, in any event. His excuse was that the Belgian army was now without rations and almost without ammunition.