Like the Dutch Seamen's Club and the British Merchant Navy Club before it, the Belgian Seamen's Home was graced with a visit from a high-ranking official from the mother country. On April 15, 1941, His Excellency, Camille Gutt, Minister of National Defense, Communications and Finance of Belgium officially opened the club rooms dedicated to Belgian seamen who found themselves in New York City in exile from their homes, then under Nazi occupation. See The Lookout 1941 May (http://qcarchives.com/sci/items/show/1235)