Evening journal., 1913-05-15


are the fashion among revolutionaries.
They are now gentlemen with consn-
tutional habits who in no wise show
externally the feryor of the Garibaldis
and the Robcspierres. Indeed. no man
looks less like tribune than Van
deryelde, the Belgian who is leading
close 10 100000 of his countrymen
IN a general strike. designed to pro-
cure the reform of the electoral laws.
Imagine a man of middle height, very
dark, and somewhat Spanish in cost
of countcnance. Behind his spectacles
are quiet, rather kindly, eyes; a beard
and the habitual wear of black cloth
ing invest him with an air of modera-
ton. Middle-aged, gentle Of utterance.
undidactic in his views, Vanderyelde
would present a puzzle to one who
sought the origin Of the influence he
wields, if that investigator had not
seen him i'm one of his moments"
Early last year. when, fact by fact.
he was driving home the guilt of a
Belgian officer in the Congo, as he
told the story of the atrocities, it was
another Vandervelde who spOke-an
impassioned. fierce Judge, who, in his
sense of fitness, would gladly have
combined with the functions of Judge
those of eXecutioner. In those moods
he is as brave as he is fearless, and 1t
is rumored that on this particular oc-
casion he did not hesitate in the lobby
OF the Chamber of Deputies to give a
blow before he gave word to an in
criminated officer with threatened him
with bodily violence. Vandervelde is
pre-eminently not afraid. Though h3
would prefer to be moderate, he is
compelled by the abuses which infest
his country TO conduct continual cam
paigns against the church, because Of
its obstructionist educational policy:
TO denOunce the bourgeoisie because
the labor laws of Belgium wink too
readily at long hours and short pay.
This conflict within his personality
is q most interesting feature. and il is
maintained even in the writings for
which he finds time in the midst of his
strenuous propaganda. The literary
output of Vandervelde is large, and
covers every topic that interests the
workers, such as Socialism VS.. the
State" (Nandervelde is z colleciivist
sworn enemy of "gas and water" So
cialism) essays on temperance, relig-
ion, and art; lengthy chronicles of the
last days of an old Congo State; es-
says on industrial Belgium; on collec-
tivism and in industrial evolution; a
short history of the last years of the
late King Leopold's reign, etc. His
is sharp, piercing style which never
shrinks from fact. and allows him to
say. without ambiguity. anything that
! nc chooses. Here is an instance:
There is an antagonism, both theO-
retic and practical, between Socialism
and the religion of today, of which Ro-
manism is the most typical form"
/ Such are the sentiments which Van
! dcrvede ventures to lay before the
most Catholic people on the Continent
of Europe.
A notable thing in regard to Van
dervelde is his popularity among the
people Of Brussels; without knowing
his address one can reach his house
by asking passers-by for directions
lie is the kindly tribune of Brussels,
and so we'll beloved that no man
thinks of resenting the fact that he is
a man of means. living in beautifully
appointed house. in an agreeable part
OF the town. Both he and his English
wife have become a byword at Brus-
sells. Even its bourgeois society,
which is not so kind everywhere on
the continent, is glad to welcome them
in its midst. This may not surprise
an American or Englishman. who
prides himself on the friendship that
may exist between a cabinet minister
and the leader of the opposition, but
in most European countries it is more
useful for men of varying political
faiths to meet on the dueling ground
than on the golf links.
Vandervelde has won his way to lead
ership by the qualities which endear
him socially, by afability courtesy