The Portland daily press., 1898-12-10
THE wAa or CAGES IN BELGIUM.
4 Conflict of Languages Similar to That in
Austria.

fAntyerp Lettel>:n New York Times.)
Though Belgium is but third-rate
nawer. and q neutral one into the bar
oair, a parallel between King Leopold's
kingdom and the empire of the Hapshurgs
NAV easily be drawn. The great and
nernanent source Of trouble in Austria Is
The racial strife between Germans ana
Czeohs. In Belgium this strife hnds It's
oounterpart in the relentless race war pe-
tween Flemish and Wallons. The cues
ton at stake in both countries is the shhS
the question If language which, nexo 10
religion. has been the cause OF the ploous-
est conflicts in the history OF naelohs'
Briefly summed up the trouble III beieAuu'
arose from the pretensions OF the f1e'nish
to equal rights for their mother Vongue
with French. which, until now. has neiu
a nranonderating position, both of1claty
and uLofscially in the nation. Ai'ei
boistsrous campaign in the Flenalsn
nress. a campaign which was supporseu
nv the entire rural populatlon OIL 9ne
FIamish provinces and by large percent
ACE of the citizens of Antwerp, the nel.
aian Parliament passed, o lew A1onen -
aSp0.
an ala loi Flamingante, as IL Is 1srin ls'i
here. According to this new law tne
FIenoish language WAS placed on terms OF
nerfect equality with Frenoh-ln oeher
words, every parliamentary Din, every
official act of the government "usS 10
worded in two languages.
The full meaning OF suon law eau
hardly be- taken at first sight. Herealsef'
the name of every street, every Tailway
t4r,atAhla every ttproces-v verbal nust
he worde6 In the two languages. Ing
expense to the country OF such law may
easily be imagined, when the nunper "a
clerks in the various government depart
ments has already been doubled SIMPLY
owing to the red tape resulting from Ia
Ios Fiaminoante. - This question or extra
expense to the governments is, however,
but one and the most unimporIann sue
of the "Flemish law. Inc fien,ish
movement in Belgium has, or late. taken
on tne character of Pan-German cam
paien, and is intimately connected WIN
the great Pan German movement IN tne
German empire
This movement, as was Tecenbly snowh
at the Antwerp congress, has gTeau ana
growing prestige among tne nleliisn =.
Belgium. There are 10000 permanens
German residents in Antwerp. united Dy
the strong bonds of social cluos ano poilti
cal associations. These Germans OIL Ape-
werp have already done mucn Tor 5ne
cause of the greater Germany anu AoWs
when allied to the pan-German Flemisn,
Ahey promise to do still more toward the
realization of their s'grande idea. Apro-
DOS Of this tendency OF the fiemlsh
toward pan-GerJnanism, the recent publ
cation OF political pamphlet by Coun1
d'Assche, the well known Belgian staUes-
man. has caused considerable COMMENT.
Count d. Assche. like many of his con-
freres beyond the Rhine, looks upon the
commercial alliance between Germany
Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg as an
event of the near future. Such an
alliance (which would comprise the Ger
man-speaking provinces or Austria IN
cIuded In the general name OF "Ger-
many'') would, in the opinion of Count
dsAssche. be inyincible, and hold pre-
ponderating position on the continent,
both from a commercial and military
point of view Count d'Asschs claims
that all the Flemish are, at heart, good
Germans, anxious to return within the
fold of their mother country. The tlem-
is of Antwerp have. in particular, ne
states, remained entirely German. both
in Ianugaoe and appearance, to this day.
and are only waiting the opportunity to
once more become mem bers of the great
German nation.
liz is, however, difficult to see how any
permanent sympathy can exist between
such clerical population as the Roman
Catholic Flemish and an empire gov
erned by the ultra Protestant Prussians
and the Hobenzollern dynasty. The
difference in religion between the Bel
gians and the Prussians has always been
the great obstacle against closer union
of the two nations