Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-02
Written for The Star.

Written for The Star.
''Bruges la mort" an observing French
man has called 1t. Those who know the
famous old Flemish town well will undoubt-
edly agree that, so far as participation in
modern activities is concerned 1T has been
about as dead as the proverbial doornail
since the end of the fifteenth century. Then
the city's foreign merchants and commerce
fled to Antwerp. Then it was despoiled of
the last remnants of it's wonderful riches by
the soldiers of Macmillan. Then the river
Zwyn to the sea filled up with sand and the
citizens were too poverty stricken, too
weighed down by the long series of disas-
tiers that had overtaken them to reopen
communication. How all confident the mod
ern spirit of activity must be to undertake
the resurrection of civic mummy 400 years
old-to restore to Bruges some OF it's re-
splendent glory of half a millennium ago.
The plan is to do this by building a ship
canal to the sea, in the hope that few
modern argosies, at least, will discharge
their cargoes on the towns long abandoned
quays, as did most Of Venices and Genoa's
argosies in the long ago, when silks from
Cathay and spices from India were worth
their weight in gold.
Work has actually begun on the canal,
but there are those in Bruges and elsewhere
in Belgium, deeply acquainted with Fl 1m1sh
ways, who view the project with ill-con-
Cealed amusement, despite the seeming
earnestness of its promoters.
1T is only another abtortive attempt"
they say, in explanation. 1t Will end in
failure, like the attempt two hundred years
ago to get in touch with Ostend CONNER
cially by canalizing the river Yperlet. Then
think! 1t took the town twenty years to
restore just one medieval building, the Ho-
tel Gruthuise. quarter of a century
ago 1t determined to restore the west
ern facade of the Church of Notre
Dame yet that facade is still in place.
and every year the architect appoint
ed to do the work submits a new plan
And thus and on, indefinitely. Do you
wonder that we believe there is to be no
resurrection-no great canal, when almost
generation of time is wasted in restoring
one building-in considering plans for the
partial restoration of another"
A Vast Undertaking.
The building of the canal is, without
question, Il vast undertaking. one worthy
of modern enterprise. But the promoters
profess to see fortunes ahead after many
dollars have been spent, and If their faith
in the scheme holds out Bruges, as known to-
day-the most medieval town in all Europe.
Bruges Ia mort'--will no longer be the
substance of the past in the years that are
70 come. Even now, much to the disgust of
the lover or things medieval, more or less
noted landmarks are giving way to modern
structures, old canals are being diverted and
their beds filled up for real estate These
are only forerunners of the changes that
are fated to take place when the town is
linked to the sea once more and in a posi-
ton to bid Justify for a share, at least. of
modern international commerce. Such me-
diaeval business Bruges shared niggardlv
with every rival for the better part of the
four hundred years Immediately preceding
Columbus discovery
When renewed prosperity does come To
Bruges there will be at least one class of
the old towns inhabitants that Will bitterly
bewail the resurrection-indeed. are looking
forward with trepidation even now to tie
day when the grass-fringed, lily-bearing ca
nails that cut up the city into bits will
take on life and the quays be piled hish
with shipping.
This class is made up largely of English
born families, strange as it may seem, The
explanation is simple, however Bruges is
convenient to the English coast man
with only small income cannot 1--we in
comfort in England-he must needs keep I'D
somewhat of an establishment to be of any
consequence socially. So many an English
man with small income, rebelling again st
his native lands hard traditions, has been
IN the habit these many years of setting up
his household gods in Bruges and there Ev-
ing, an eminently respectable and highly
respected man in the eyes of the impover-
ished descendants of Europes once richest
burghers.
II