Pocahontas star herald., 1914-08-28

Little oushy, Highway For Troops,
10 Ruled by the Grand Duchess Ma.
RE Adelaide and Is su 'pOssdly NOu.
trial Territory.
N ELGlUM aud Luxembourg are
* two localities Of strategic i'm.
n portance In the present Euro.
pean disturbances. Both border
on countries Immediately concerned
and are pledged to be neutral. but Ger
many invaded Luxemburg at the out.
set Of hostiities, and the kalser's ON.
cials OF state notified Belgium that she
could expect like treatment
II was this militant announcement
that caused Great Britain to plan to
plunge into the war aud TO ask parlia
ment for war fund OF S525.OOOO 900
Belgium has been a storm center In
many European wars. In few OF which
she WIS an active factor. Her plains
and valleys have been chosen against
her will by European generals ~
grOands on which 20 decide their quar-.
rcIs hy force OF arms The whole
world knows II was In Belgium, at
Waterloo. that Napoleon aud yelling
Ton clashed In their momentous death
rrRpple. resulting In the shatterlng OF
the Corslcan's dream.
Facts About Belgium.
Belgium, a kingdom. has a total area
Of / .J73 square miles and a population
tat the census of 1910 Of T.5lG.T3O.
There are nine provinces-Antwerp.
BrabanL Flanders a.. and W.. Liege,
IIHinaut IImburg, Luxembourg and
Namur Brussels with suburbs, G55,.
SOC inhahitantsl is the capital.
other towns with over 10000 in.
hRbitants Hre Antwerp, the chief port
C321.G4O. exclusive ~ suburbsl: Client
uG5.IiN and I.icgc uT4.TliSl
Its great harbur aud commercial en-
trepOt is Antwerp, strongly fortified
city on the Schc.dt The other har.
bors are Ostpud, Nicuport Blanken.
berg aud Zecbruggr.
French aud Flemish are the Joint
official languages, but while French Is
the language ~ the upper classes
Flemish Is spoken by the majority,
prepondcratug IN Flanders, LImburg
and Brahant including Antwerp. Near
ly all the inhabitants are at least nomi.
nally Roman Catholics.
Belgian Government.
The Belgian constitution Of 1891
Jointly vests the legislative power In
the king. the senate and the chamber
OF representatives. The 40 senator's
with the exception Of twenty-seyen
elected by the provincial cOuncllsl aud
lG6 representatives are elected by the
people. the former for eight, the latter
for four years. Universal male suffrage,
with plural voting up 20 three votes
by property and educational qualiGca-
tons. was introduced 10y the electoral
law OF 1894. proportional representa-.
tion being secured by an act Of 1900.
The united CONSTITUENCIES numbered
l.697.Gi9 voters. with 2,7l0.Sjl votes
in 1901. There are in addition
representative provincial and com
munal councils, elected on a somewhat
more liberal franchise.
Belgium has a frontier Of S3l miles
and in bounded on the north and east
by the Netherlands (2Gs miles,, on the
south and west by France C3Sl miles,
on the east by Germany (sixty miles,
and the grand duchy Of LuXemburg
teiGhty miles,, with seabOard OF forty
two miles.
The Meuse and its tributary, the
Sambre. divide It into two distinct
regions, that in the west being gen
orally level and fertile. while the table.
land Of the Ardennes, in the east, has
for the most part q poor soil
The "polders" near the coast, which
are protected by dikes against hOous'
cover an area of 1913 square miles. Ihe
highest hill Baraque Michel, rises 10
height Of 2,23O feet, but the mean
elevation Of the whole country does
not exceed $50 feet
The principal rivers are the Schelu'
(EscauD and the Mas (Meuse) brus.
sells has mean temperature OF ~
degrees f. (summer, G3 degrees; WIN
ter, 81 degrees).
Antwerp is the principal fortress
and Llege and Namur are also ioE,'
fed, forming "tetes-de-pont' on 'I''
line Of the Meuse, which was planned
as defense against the violation u
neutrality by either France or Ter
many. Belgium has no navy
The army numbers 25OOOO men ahc
was ordered mobillzed by Albert Eltt
Of the Belgians, when Germany inVad
ed Belgium.
Commerce.
Belgium Is essentially a manutacIur
ing country, and it is largely depenu
ent upon foreign supplies for It's tuou