Evening star., 1914-11-14
PAYS HIGH TRIBUTE
TO BELGIAN PEOPLE
DR.. James Howard Gore Lectures to
Two Large Audiences at the
New Masonic Temple.
Begins Winter Course of National
Geographic Society-Describes
Meeting With King Leopold.

Before two large audiences at the
New Masonic Temple yesterday after
noon and evening, DR.. James Howard
Gore, professor emeritus of George
University. inaugurated
the winter course of lectures OF the
National Geogra phie Society with lee
ture on Belgium and Her People"
At one point in his address DR.. Gore
declared that during an audience with
the late King Leopold he had con-
graduated the king upon the splendid
work he had done in the establishment
of his cities and the improvement OF
in his kingdom. To this
sentiment King Leopold replied:
ut is very kind of you to say such
things. But l regret that they fall so
far short of what l would have them
be-"
Calling attention to the smallness or
Belgiums geographic dimensions. which
he said were but slightly larger than
those of the state OF Maryland. Or.
Gore said that the little kingdom is
so thickly populated that if Texas
could match it in density the Lone
Star" state would have a population
equivalent to that of both Germany and
the United States today, and that II the
United States, exclusive of Alaska. had
would have population larger than
the entire earth now has
Home of World Organizations.
Belgium has figured prominently in
the affairs Of Europe said the speaker.
THE electric motor found no acceptance
until it first had been passed upon by
Belgium. The airbrake got its first verdict
from the railroads of this little kingdom
The telephone found it's readiest European
acceptance here, while the headquarters
Of the Marconi wireless and the Inter
national Sleeping Car Company, the Pull
man service Of Europe, in Brussels. tell
the same story of Belgfum's leadership.
Indeed. Belgium is the home OF more
international organizations than all of the
proved that a nations influence does
not depend on geographical dimen-
sions"
Dr. Gore paid a tribute to the frugal
ity and progressiveness of the Belgian
people, showing that before the war
thirty-five out of every hundred had
savings bank accounts; that forty mine
out of every hundred were engaged in
some gainful occupation; that the Bel
gian farmer grows thirty seven bushels
Of wheat to the acre. where the Ameri.
can farmer grows fifteen. and 312
bushels of potatoes, where we grow
ninety.
diversity of Tongues.
Speaking of the diversity of tongues
in Belgium, DR.. Gore said he did not
think any man would, with malice
aforethought, try to learn Flemish.
which is spoken by nearly half of the
Belgian population.
To loi a
linguistic boundary between the French
speaking Walloons in the southeastern
half of Belgium and the Flemish-speak-
by saying that when the Teutons set
tied the former area and the descend
ants of the Celts the latter dense for
ward separated them. and that although
the forests long since have passed
away the linguistic boundaries still re-
main sharply defined.
Nearly half Of the population speaks
the one language, and the other half
the other. while only 10 per cent can
speak both tongues. All laws. court
railroad tickets and signs
are printed in both languages.
Everybody Has to Work.
Everybody in Belgium has to work.
according to DIR. Gore. In times BEFORE
the war more women were seen in the
fields than men, but this did not indi-
cate that the men were idle. They were
away in the factories, in the mines, in
the brick works or elsewhere, working
hard to aid the family exchequer Even
the dogs have to work. because the
small farmers cannot afford to keep
horses. If protest is made against
working the dogs the Belgian is apt
to answer: I'VE can't keep them unless
they work Furthermore, are they not
as strong as we are?'
DR.. Gore showed many beautiful pic
lures of Belgium. her famous build
ings, her striking scenery and her in
teresting people. He told the remark
werp. with its highly specialized dock
labor, that has no equal in the world.
and praised highly the achievements OF