Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-21


general uneasiness throughout Belgium.
The object Of the Flemish party, briefly.
is to oblige the Flemish bourgeois, as
well as peasant. to discard the use OF
French and return to the exclusive use
of the Flemish language. under pain
Of being excluded from all administrative
functions. The Flemish would deny the
wish of parents as to the instruction of
the children OF Wallons. and would ex-
clude the parents from all participation
in government administration in the
northern provinces.
1t is thought to be peculiar that reac-
ton against Flemishism should originate
in Antwerp. the chief fortress Of the
Flemish and German influence.
The League for Freedom of Language,
recently founded in Antwerp, has al
ready grown to consider
Language able strength. The league
r..c,. proposes to combat what
is termed Flemish eX-
travagances." One of the directors dis
closed the fact that there were three
distinct elements to combat: First. the
"organists.'' who are inconsolable be-
cause of the separation Of Holland and
Belgium in 1880. who dream of an inn
possible return Of the Flemish provinces
to Holland, and who have adopted the
old Holland hymn ''Wilhelmus van Mas
sauwen." as a national hymn; second, the
pure pangermanists. whose anti-Beig1an
acts We're so fragrant that certain Ger,
from the "Alideutscher Verbond' because
they did not wish to lend aid to such
campaign: finally, the Flemish. properly
speaking. who. under pretext of defend
ing the Flemish demands. hatter the
ignorance of the masses in order to create
popularity.
The situation in the schools at Ant
werp had become intolerable. Only one
French language, which is the language
in fact of Belgium. Later all the courses
are given in the Flemish. SO that it is
impossible for child of WALTON parents
to take the instruction.
The league for the freedom Of Ian
guages proposes to react against such an
intolerable situation. If the Flemish, it
is explained. have been able to impose
their tyrannies upon the three political
Belgian parties, it is because the Catholic
party first would secure the Flemish
vote. Second. the socialists followed the
same maneuver. and finally the liberalists
in the hope that the Flemish would aid
them in awakening spirit of liberalism
in Flanders. This is why the three po-
litical parties have strengthened the
Flemish movement. And finally the
league for the libt. ty of languages,
whose articles forbid all politics. has
one Catholic and one socialist.
The league was formed at an opportune
moment, for if the tension had been
permitted to continue there
Timely is no doubt that Belgium
Nov. would already have been
the victim of a veritable
national crisis which might have shaken
the throne and destroyed the unity of the
nation.
Aside from King Leopold's popularity
with the people, which remains mistaken,
1t is a fact that he has been the SUBJ
ject of attacks which are not confined
to parties, but emanate alike from con-
servatives, liberals and socialists. THESE
attacks are due in great part to the
sovereign's private life, which Is treated
king is blamed for his treatment of the
Princess Stephanie. The recent sale of
royal collections has furnished new ele-
ments of scandal to the press and pub
lie. His speech at Antwerp, in which he
recommended the maintenance of policy
Of expansion, notably in China has been
made the subject of hostile criticism
The il1-concealed design of these attacks
Is to weaken and depreciate his authority
and deprive him Of the confidence OF the
people.
Leopold II is a remarkable man as an
! economist and as politician. In the
former role he has prepared Belgium for
| the destiny that awaits her by the acces-
sion of the vast colonial domain in the
Kongo.
In the latter he would, as outlined in
his speech at Antwerp. reorganize the
army and construct a navy. The king has
adopted the conception of Belgium as a
small political power. but as great
economical force. 1t does not require
any great prescience to comprehend that
what with the small respect in which
treaties are held as recently manifested
the neutrality of Belgium will be vo-
lated in the first armed conflict in Europe.
To aid effectually in the defense of Bel
GUMS neutrality is the b of the
is necessity for a greater Belgium.
King Leopold stands charged with COM
hitting trespasses at divers times and
places upon certain as
Kongo sumed rights of England
~h.. in Africa, and which may
be classed as follows:
First, Leopold II. sovereign of the
Kongo Free State. practically pene-
trated Africa from the Kongo
and occupied what is known as the
.Lado conclave'' in 5 N. This action cut
In twain at a vital point the British road
from Cape to Cairo. 1t was challenge
to a British ambition. Second, King
Leopold. as avoWed by Lord Cromer in
his book, Modern Egypt" contracted
with Gen. Gordon Pasha in 1884 to re-
turn to the Sudan and assume direction.
for account Of the kongo Free State, of
the equatorial provinces, which had been
ostensibly abandoned by Egypt at the
suggestion of Lord Dufferin. Gordon, it
now appears, declared the real purpose
OF his return to the Sudan in dispatch
to Lord Cromer from Korosko, dated
February 1. 1884. (This dispatch is pub
lished for the first time in Lord Cromer's
book.) Lord Cromer and Lord Granville
peremptorily held up Gordon and or
dered him mot to proceed south of Khar
tum.'' This order destroys at once the
fctions of ''Gordon's mission to evacu-
ate the Sudan and "Gladstone's respon-
pold's mission intrusted TO Gordon is
new matter. His contract with Gordon
was a second challenge to Great Britain.
Third Leopold II contracted with Henry
NJ Stanley in 1886, when the latter was
returning to Africa ostensibiy to rescue
Emin" the so-called faithful doctor and
pasha,' to offer the latter a very large
sum to enter the service of the kongo
Free State and assume at Lado the adj
mnistration of the Egyptian equatorial
provinces. The British East African AS
ISOLATION opposed the project, and Stanley
for unavowed reasons left Emin at Baga-
moyo and hurried back to Europe. King
Leopold's contract with Stanley was a
third challenge to Great Britain.
CHI. CHALLENGING.