JASPAR, HENRI (187o-1939), Belgian statesman, was born at Schaerbeek, Brussels, on July 28, 187o. He was a member of the Catholic party. While minister of economic affairs in Nov. 1918, he organized the reconstruction of Belgian industries; be coming deputy for Liege in 1919. In 1920, having been appointed minister of the interior and afterwards minister for foreign af fairs, he endeavoured, during the Inter-Allied Conference in which he took part, to strengthen the entente between England, France and Belgium, and to secure reparations and security for his own country. In 1922 he negotiated a pact of security and guarantee with England ; this, however, owing to the defeat of the French Government, failed to come into operation. Belgium's entry into the League of Nations was due to the efforts of Jaspar, as also was her representation on the Permanent Court of International Justice at The Hague. In July 1921 he concluded an economic
agreement between Belgium and Luxembourg and other com mercial treaties. He took part in the Dawes Plan negotiations in 1924, but resigned as minister for foreign affairs on March I 1, on the rejection by the Chamber of the Franco-Belgian Convention. In May 1926 he took office as prime minister and minister of the interior in a ministry of "national unity." He at once initiated measures to secure economy in the public administration. He had to face a serious financial crisis and a threatened "flight from the franc." There was some difficulty in reconciling the dissident elements in this cabinet, which was eventually reconstituted on Nov. 29, 1927, without the participation of Vandervelde (the out standing figure in the original cabinet) and his Socialist follow ers. Jaspar remained prime minister until 1931. (See BELGIUM.)