Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-05
END OF THE BELGIAN CRISIS

be exposed to such oblivion or misconstruc-
tion.- Although II may confidently await
| the verdict of the future. yet 1t is CT censfd-
cradle Importance that IT should be appre-
| ciated at the present day.
without expecting to calm all the pas
| sions and to conciliate all the interests
| which arise out OF this, as out Of every
other human enterprise. we hope that
| little mere light thrown on its fundamental
| aspects may contribute to dissipate preju-
dice. to mitigate opposition and to bring
facts into proper focus which Is, after ALL
| the first aim of justice.
| In most conflicts there are found mis-
| understandings and apparent contradie-
| tons. At the first step OF the ladder stands
| ment and conciliation. Unfortunately GER
| tain minds stop at the first rung of the
| ladder. Having followed, from its origin, the
African movement: we have studied the
| Congo state at all its stages of develop
| ment. And thus we complete the diptych
which we have so long desired to paint"
80
The socialist organs. the Peuple or People
and the Dermiere Teure or the Last Hour.
will continue to make in
| Socialist cendiary appeals to stir up
| the people NJ. Bertrand Is
| cited as one of the most in
nuentia1 deputies who declares that 1.-The
| King heneeforth must either conform to the
| national will or abdicate." Agitation is to
be organized among working classes, who
are advised that they must take advantage
OF the referendum in favor Of the eight
J hours of labor In the mines.
The independence Beige takes a pessi-
mlstfc view OF the situation in Belgium, and
printed the following on the 18th ultimo:
| 1t Is time that We react against the kind
OF hysteria which has seized upon our
| politics. The obsession Of personal power
| is a malady Of parliamentary sensitiveness.
a phobia we'll known to all observers. The
only thing that NJ. Smet de Mayer cannot
| deny is that the expedient which he chose
| to solve the conflict will not solve anything
| at all. If the Catholic majority was only
| divided on the mine question. the with
drawal of the project might serve for some
| thing. but the world Is aware that the
| quarrel is deeper and upon all questions
| the two rights are now in opposition"
The Belgian chamber, it will be recalled.
claims the right to take over the Congo
| Free State subject to certain conditions,
| and to this end constituted a special COM
| mission to examine promptly the character
| Of the colonial regime to be established in
| case of annexation to Belgium But the
| King OF Belgium Is in no hurry to pass his
sovereign rights to Belgium except in the
| manner which may suit his own Judgment
| and pleasure. The commission was formed,
| but it is charged that the partisans of the
royal policy are in the majority. The king
| Is quite decided to refuse the overtures OF
! the commission which conflict with his own
| views
| It is said that the situation on this head
is critical and that England has only sus-
| pended her attacks against
Critical the Congo administration
| whilst the Belgium parlia-
SAIootAon' ment Is considering sOlu-
| ton. In the meantime rumors are rife that
King Leopold is at this moment seeking
| some arrangement with France. The treaty
of Berlin recognized that France possessed
| the right of presumption over the Congo
Free State. and the same treaty gave to
King Leopold the right to dispose Of the
| Congo Free State during his lifetime. That
simple speculation. 1t is not likely that
Baron Deschamps would counsel such sug-
| gestion. Nor is 1t likely that France would
| be inclined to accept charge Of such con-
African soil as is required to meet all her
| present necessities, and, indeed, far more
than Is needed.
Among the questions which have contrib
uted a share to the unrest which prevails
in Belgium Is the ever-present dread of an
nexation by Germany. The subject has al
ready been touched upon In The Star Of
Holland a and Belgium! N. Angel HapVaad
has contributed an article to the Revue
| Politique ct Parlementaire OF April 10 on
the. same subject. entitled ''The Project of
a Hollando-Belgian Understanding. NJ.
Harvard says:
Two peoples who are on bad terms will
not consent to shake hands except menaced
German ambition in the Netherlands and
1 Belgium may bring together the two parts
OF the ancient kingdom of William 1 of
| Nassau"
The author declares that Belgians have
no longer confidence in international treat
les which have proclaimed the neutrality of
| their country. They doubt the good faith
| even OF those who have guaranteed their
| neutrality, and particularly so Of Germany.
| Suspicion was first cast upon the good faith
! OF these guarantors by M. Banning. diplo-
mat. who In 1887 published an article on
the "Defenses of Belgium From National
and European Point of View" Subsequent
ly Colonel Ducarne invited attention to the
| same subject I'm an article which created
wide interest.
+
Recently General Langlois in the Revue
Blaux, declares that Germany's four or FIVE
armies Of the first lines of
Suspicious Of attack. a total of million
men. would not be restrict
ed to the lines Of Sere de
| Riviera. The Germans, for fact, have
| established already between Cologne, Ak
military depots Belgium, says the general,
In place of thinking of alliances. should be
reorganizing her army, which is insufficient
16s. OOO, and which should be raised to
| 100000.
! Belgium's perturbed state is not peculiar.
| The truth Is that twenty years Of continued
control Of any party is almost certain to
| create discomfort whatever the government,
| whether monarchal or democratic. In such
a period a party has both used and abused
its opportunity and should be succeeded by
its opponent. This Is true Of Belgium as it
| is true of France. In the latter for q fact
| there are Indications that the people, and
perhaps the government itself, are tired
of the tyranny of the social, coilectivism
| which assumes to control the government
| On this subject M. Harduin has written an
article in LIE Matin in which he asks:
Where is the peril, on the right or on the
left? Old guessing question that, but now
| become an actuaiity In the political game of
! the moment" And NJ. Harduin continues:
with what sauce do you care to be eaten?
With monarchal, reactionary or clerical
| sauce. or with the colfectivist, social or rev.
olutionary sauce? What do you prefer?
Tyranny above or tyranny below?
IF the country was consulted 1t would
| reply. do not wish to be eaten with any
| sauce at all. nor submit to any tyranny