In recognition of the noble example of patriotism and devotion to duty displayed by him during the German occupation of Brussels, and to mark the admiration of the citizens of Edinburgh for the heroism and sacrifices of our Allies, the people of Belgium, throughout the years of the Great War.
"I have already been lured by the romantic scenery of Scotland. I know the beauties of the wonderful city of Edinburgh, whose varied aspects leave in the mind of the traveller an indelible memory. The pages of Scottish history show that indomitable pride and chivalrous generosity are combined in the Scottish soul with the instincts of duty and honour. But to-day the Scottish heart is revealed to me, with its inexhaustible resources of affection, charm and tenderness. I fervently trust that the homage paid by Edinburgh to the Burgomaster of Brussels will further strengthen those relations existing betwixt the Scots and the Belgians. Our commercial intercourse, thanks to the imports of Scottish wool and tweeds to my country, goes back among the centuries. But perhaps it is still further back in the past that we must seek reasons for the marked sympathy between the two races. We are, in fact, partly of the same breed. The Celtic clans, which formerly settled in Scotland and Belgium, endowed the two peoples with a similarity of character which time has not been able to change, and which makes cordial relations between us so easy."