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Translation.

Dated La Panne, West Flanders,

via (Manke?), Belgium.

President Woodrow Wilson,
Washington.

I thank you most sincerely for the sentiments expressed in
your telegram. Like Belgium, the United States were, before
the war alien to the great coalitions which divided the world.
My country was the first (being constrained against its will) to
be drawn into the conflict because it could not accept the unendur-
able conditions which were proposed to it. Thirty-two months later,
and for analegeus reasons, the great American Republic takes the same
position. Because of this similarity of situation and of determina-
tion, I am especially rejoiced at the step which, upon your initiative,
the American people have freely taken.

ALBERT

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