Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-07
MENACE TO BELGIUM
PopuIace Is Aroused Over
School Question.
PLURAL VOTING A FACTOR
Believed Government May Make
Concessions to Opposition.
NOT A QUESTION OF RELIGION
Racial Differences Between the
Flemish and Walloon Factions
fastened Recent Rioting.
PLURAL VOTING A FACTOR
NOT A QUESTION OF RELIGION
Special Correspondence Of The star.

Special Correspondents Of The star.
BRUSSELS. June 28-The recent cleo
ton rioting throughout Belgium, which
stopped just short OF an open revolution.
has fixed the minds of the leading men
OF the country upon the problems involved
in the dispute and the likelihood for the
future Of Belgium. The general belief H.
that trouble will break out anew unless
the government makes some concession 10
the opposition on the two great questions
which are the basis OF the differences.
namely. the suffrage and the schools.
The industrial masses. especially those
in the walloon provinces. seem to be con-
WINGED that their rights are restricted in n
political sense through the existence OF
the plural system OF voting. They declare
that the time has gone in the world.
especially In q modern and civilized coun-
try like Belgium, when an individual can
have more than one vote. To them tho
idea that a man may have two and three
votes because he owns property or be-
cause he has a superior education is an
offensive attack against the rights Of
man.
Not a Religious Question.
Everybody In Belgium is careful to
point out that the school question should
not be misrepresented by in any way as
Stunning that it Is a religious question.
Practically the entire population OF Bel
GUM is Catholic. and no question of re-
ligion, as such. has been is involved I'm
the Belgian physical and pOlemical war
fare. The school question is mixed up
with the language question. which In
turn Is a result Of the old-tIme differences
between the Flemish or Dutch people In
the northwest and the Walloon or French
speaking population in the south and
southeast. The Flemish recently sue
ceeded in their fight to obtain an obliga-
tory teaching or Flemish as well as
French in the public schools OF Belgium.
This has been accepted by the Walloon
provinces, but the latter claim that the
Flemish have gone too far in this re-
spect and are really wasting much valua-
BILE time of the inhabitants of Belgium in
the teaching of a language which is more
or less of dead tongue.
The clerical question may he said to
have the Flemish on the clerical side
and the Walloons on the anti-clericaI.
1t Is I'm the Flemish departments that
the influence Of the plural vote is mostly
felt, and which, even under the present
system of proportional representation In
the election of deputies. gave to the
last elections. The clerical or church
schools have increased considerably In
recent years in the following manner:
Free School Offer Accepted.
Every commune In Belgium has the
right to a public school. but every COM
mune Is not rich enough to support such
an institution. In a large number of
cases when this condition existed the
church stepped in and offered to found
a church school. and to pay all of the
expenses therein incurred. The liberals
and socialists contend that this Initiative
of the church has sometimes even pre-
vented the establishment Of a public
school, as the communes, attracted by
the idea OF having a good school which
would cost them nothing. have accepted
the church schools when otherwise they
might have founded the public or neutral
school. Suggestions by the present as
well the preceding government to
reimburse the clerical schools in some
form Of subsidy was what Immediately
aroused agitation upon the general school
question.
The racial differences between the
Flemish and the Walloons, which have
long been on the point OF an outburst,
FASTENED the recent clash. Although It
is not expected that the Walloon prov
inces will do anything as yet toward
approaching France. IL would not sur
prise many people II they insisted at least
upon an administrative separation and
some kind Of autonomy
The danger Of the present situation
lies in the convictions of the liberals and
socialists that without the universal sin
gle suffrage there is no chance for them
to get into power. They realize that the
| single vote cannot be obtained without a
revision of the constitution, and for this
two thirds majority is needed In both
houses of parliament. Only a slac Sening
| of the clericals from their position, ii 10
believed, will avoid renewed clashes.
Another great problem which Is today
agitating Belgium is that of national de-
| Tense in case of European conflict. The
Walloon people are quick to say that In
case of war involving Germany Bel
GUM would be Immediately seized and
overriden by German troops. Therefore.
| IL is claimed, the Notifications on the
German frontier should Immediately ue
strengthened so that Belgium may make
| a stout defense to safeguard her national
honor and her national existence In time
Of war.
Zanen Coming to q. s.
The Belgium government has sent Chief
Engineer Zanen Of the department OF roads
and bridges to the United States to study
in the great American ports the latest
systems of locks, drawbridges and sas-
popctop hriduae This in in view of the