New-York tribune., 1901-04-14
BELGIAN RACE TROUBLES.
WALLOONS AND FI.EMINGS AT ODDS
OVER THE QUESTION OF LANGUAGE
LA LOI FLAMINGANTE"
Brussels, April >.

Brussels, April -
At the present rate of development the race
war now in progress in Belgium promises within
{. short time be fully bitter that in
Austria. parallel between King Leopold's
kingdom and the empire of the Hapsburgs may
easily be drawn. The great and permanent
source of trouble in Austria is the racial strife
between Germans and CZeChS. In Belgium this
strife finds its counterpart in the relentless war
between Flemish and WallOons. The question in
both countries is the same-that of language
which next to religion has been the cause of
the bloodiest conflicts in the history of nations.
The trouble in Belgium first from the
pretensions of the Flemish to have their mother
tongue placed on equal footing with French.
which until has held preponderatinS
position. both officially and unottically. in the
nation. After boisterous campaign in the
Flemish press "A campaign which supported
10y the entire rural population Of the Flemish
provinces and by a large percentage of the cti-
z.ns of Antwerp. the EelGian Parliament passed,
about two years ago. the much discussed ''Flem-
ish law" or Ia Ioi Flamnsantc." as it is termed
here. According 10 this law. the Flemish
language was placed terms of perfect equal
ity with French. The full meaning Of such
law can scarcely BE- appreciated at first sight
According its terms every Parliamentary bill
and every official act of government as we'll as
the name of every street. the text of every gov
crument publication (Such. for instance, as rail
way time tahlesp. must be printed in the two
languages The expense To the country may
easily be imagined when it is stated that the
number Of clerks in the various government de
partrcnts here in BRUSSELS has already been
doubled owing to the red tape resulting from
Ia loi F!amrgante."
EDUCATED FLEMINGS SPEAK FRENCH
At first sight the Flemish act may seem to
he only a matter of justice. 1t is hut right that
the French and Flemish languages should be
placed footing of equality-thus will many
argue. \ superficial examination of the sta
tistics of the rival races which make up the
population Of Belgium would also tend to show
that the two languages French and Flemish
held about the same position in the kingdom.
According; to the last census. the number of in
habitants whose mother tongue was French
amounted to :2SOSii and of those who spoke
Flemish 3.lSS.iSl But-a here is the great
pont-whereas the great mass Of the French
speaking Walloons entirely ignorant of
Flemish all the educated people of the Flemish
provinces speak French a matter of course
In BRUSSELS, where the two languages are nomi-
| naIly on an equality, il would be possible to
walk the streets of the city for month with
out ever hearing a word of Flemish
The relative position of the two languages
is aptly illustrated hy the French ard Flemish
newspapers in Belgium All the leading sheets
in BRUSSELS such as the undergraduates Beige
the. journal de Bruxelles.' the "Etoile Relra
the "Soir" and the Petit Bleu" are published in
French. Even in Antwerp the leading news
paper, the "Metropole' is likewise published in
French. These facts easily explained The
Belgians are practical people, and the Flemish
among the educated classes are farsighted
enough to realize that the French language puts
them in touch with a nation OF forty million
people. whereas Flemish. which is not even un-
derstoOd in Germany. isolates them Neverthe-
less, there is certain number Of Flemish aCi-