New-York tribune., 1901-04-14

If Eighty -sixth-st near Fifth-ave.
tators who are not even satisfied with the pres
ent concession made to the people OF Flanders
These worthless distinctly in favor Of the
movement looking toward separation Of tho
Flemish and Walloon provinces Thus, the
Flemish movement has assumed lately the char
acter of a Pan-German campaign, and is fntt-
matey connected with the Pan-Gernan cru
sade in the German Empire.
PAN-GERMANISM
Pan-Germanism has it is true a certain
amount of prestige among the Flemish of Ant
werp. There twenty thousand permanent
German residents there, united by the strong
bonds of social clubs and political associations.
They have already done much for the cause OF
the greater Germany" and now allied TO the
Pan German Flemish. they promise to do still
more. Apropos of this tendency OF the Flemish
to favor the spread of Pan n-Ciermanism. the re-
cent publication Of a political pamphlet by Count
d'Assche has caused considerable comment The
count looks upon commercial alliance Of
Germany Belgium. Holland and Luxembourg
as an event of the near future. Such an aIIi-
ance, which would comprise the German speak,
ing provinces of Austria, included in the general
name of Germany, would. in the opinion OF
Count d'Assche. be invincible and hold a pre-
ponderating position the Continent. both from
commercial and a military point of view.
Count d'Assche says that all the Flemish are at
heart good Germans, anxious return within
the fold of their original mother country The
Antwerp Flemish have in particular he states
remained entirely German. both in language and
appearance. To this day, and only awaiting
the opportunity more become members
of the great German nation. The count fails
to explain, however, how permanent bonds OF
sympathy exist between such a population
as the Roman Catholic Flemish and an empire
controlled by the ultra-Protestant Prussians
and the Hohenzollern dynasty.
The aniInosity between Flemish and WaIIoons
has resulted in political as We'll as a racial
question. The Flemish are almost without ex-
ception represented in the House Of Represen-
tatives by Clerical Conservatives and the Wal
looms 10y Socialists and Liberals. y bitter hos
tilty exists between the Clericals and Liberals
which can only he lkened the enmiry be-
tween Republicans and Nationalists in France
Whereas the Clericals are still strongly mo-
narchical in their sentiments the Socialists are
avowed republicans. The Liberals although
they may not Toe openly republicans. are well
known nevertheless To have leanings in that
direction. The Liberals represent the moderate
progressive element in Belgium and it is much
To be regretted that the party has not n stronger
loIioNlNS IN fttfI.a!nent- The CleriCalS and So
cialists both extreme parties the one reac
tionary and the other revolutionary
crisis may TIE expected during the comin.
Parliamentary session, if. seems likely the
government is defeated the question of tho
annexation of the Congo Free State In This
ease Europe would be called upon To witness the
novelty of a Socialist Ministry What this would
mean may easily he gathered from the political
programme recently made public 10y Emile Van
dewelde the socialist leader in Parliament In
this statement he declares that all property
should belong IL the State since wealth is the
product of the labor. whe tLer mental or manual
of preceding generations. The ideal state. can
only be established" says he. by the destruc-
tion of the present class system and the na-
tionalization of all landed property" III certain
ly Will DE interesting 10 if. in the event of
a victory the socialists attempt to carry out this
programme. anI no less interesting 10 note the
attitude of the powers. more particularly France
and Germany. when confronted with the novelty
OF a socialist government at Brussels