The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1903-01-10
RACE Gov LIcrs IN BELGIUM.
Have neen Revived by the Demands
for Recognition OF the Flemish
Language.

There has been revival of racial
conflicts in Belgium of hate, brought
about by the excessive demands of the
Flemings, who claim equal rights for
the Flemish language with French.
The Flemish element in the population
has for several years past been carry
ing on an active campaign throughout
the country under the pretext that
Flemish is really a national language
of Belgium, and that French il but a
foreign importation. says a foreign
correspondent of the New York Times.
+ The demands of the Fleimngs have
become more and more excessive.
Their pretension to have Flemish
placed on an equal footing with French
is, of course, absurd. 1tmay be remem-
bered that about four years ago, after
a boisterous campaign in the Flemish
press, supported by the ignorant rural
population of the Flemish provinces,
the Belgian parliament passed the
much-discussed Flemish law or "Loi
Flamingante; as IL is termed here.
According to the terms OF this law.
Flemish was placed on a footing of
perfect equality with French. This
means that every parliamentary bill
and every official net of the govern
ment, every street name, the text OF
every government publication, must be
printed in two languages.
The expense TO the country may
easily be imagined when il is stated
that the number of clerks of the
various government departments here
in Brussels has been doubled owing TO
the red tape resulting from ia loi
Flamingante." At first sight the
Flemish act may seem To be only
matter of justice. \ superficial exam
nation of the statistics of the rival
races which make up the population of
Belgium would also tend TO show that
the two languages French and Flem-
ish-hold about the same position in
the kingdom.
According to the last census the
number OF inhabitants whose mother
tongue was French amounted 10 $780,
S44 and Of those who spoke Flemish
3,4SS.4sl. But and here is the great
point-whereas the great mass Of the
Frenchs peaking Walloons are entirely
ignorant Of Flemish, all the educated
people Of the Flemish provinces speak
French rs matter OF course. In
Brussels where the two languages are
nominally on an equality, it would be
possible to walk the streets of the city
for month without ever hearing a
word OF Flemish. The relative posi-
tion Of the two languages is aptly H.
Illustrated by the French and Flemish
newspapers in Belgium. All the lead
ing sheets in Brussels, such as the In
dependence Beige, LEtoile Beige, the
Soir, and the Ningtieme Steele, are
published in French. Even in Ant
werp the leading papcr, La Metropole,
is published in French.
These facts are easily explained
Educated Belgians realize that the
French language puts them in touch
with a nation of 10000, 600 people,
whereas Flemish, which is not even
understood in Germany, solates them
Nevertheless there are a certain num-
Der Of Flemish agitators who are not
satisfied with the present concessions
made 20 the people Of Flanders. These
WORTHLESS, led by handful ~ men In
parliament are distinctly in favor Of
the movement looking toward a separ-
alton OF the Flemish and Walloon
provinces. Thus the Flemish move
ment assumes more and more the char
actcr of Pan-Gcrman campaign, and
is intimately connected with the Pan
German crusade in Germany.