Brussels, July 2.
A stirring appeal for national ser~ vice was made by King Leopold 5 the leaders of the ex-Soldiers Asso lation, whom he received at the Palace' to-da; The demand of the ex-Servicemen for a referendum on the Politic Amnesty Bill, which "grants amnesty to persons condemned after the Great War for acts of treason committed in war time, could not be met, he said. The principle of r ferendum, he explained, was not recognized by the Constitution, It was a mistake, the King continued, to attribute to the Amnesty Bill the character of an attack on the dignity of the country and the honour of the heroes of the "War, for both this dignity and this honour remained Intact.
"ational service, the Idea) for which you fought, should continue to be the object of your collective action." he said. "More than ever Belgium needs union and internat The Committee of Action of the Croix de Feu, a Rightist Association of War veterans, will sponsor a private referendum on the amnesty bill "and has already launched appeal declaring, among other things, "We agree to be governed by politi-clans no more than we agree to re= turn to the Flemish and" Waloon traitors a status that would sell our victory in the War."—Havas,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.