El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-11-21
.BELGIUMN0TED
FOR PLUCK AND
LARGE exports
Little Country Has Always
Been Fighter; Had Huge
Foreign Business.
CITIZENS MAY CAST
MORE THAN ONE VOTE

w TASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. IL
Nv Perhaps no other organlza-
ton In the United tSates is
I keeping in such close stouch with the
geography Of the European war as the
National Geographic society, of WASH
ington. While it is furnishing geo.
graphical data daily to the press i Is
itself receiving q wealth OF geographlc
material with reference to the ceuh'
tries at war, their peoples, their Gus
toms their industries and their geo
graphic history. IN a communication
on belgium: The Innocent Bystand-
err william Joseph Showalter tells
the more than 100000 members OF Inc
@The Belgium of today has an area
less than one-fourth IS great as MIS-
sissippi. vet at the outbreak Oh me
present war its population was to ui
times as large as that OF MISSISSIPPI RI
TVenty-tVo and a half countries IKE
Belgium could be tucked away IN
state like Texas, and their aggreGaoes
population would be more. than thaI u
me Ifpited states and Germany to-
Long History of Bravery.
According to this writer, Julius Cae-
sar himself bears early witness 70 ~
were drawer than the Aquitam or inc
Celts, due to the fact that they WeIe .
nearer the Germans. with whom IheS
were constantly at war
Within Belgiums 1873 square mus ni,,5s
OF territory. smaller than Massacnu-
setts and Connecticut with popuiia-
ton Of $4,000 there lived, at me
outbreak of the war, nearly 5,OUV'OUV
French speaking Walloons who cannon
talk with a like number OF their com
Z oh KING TFlen1fnEE. IN
their habits of mind and metnous u
canine a livelihood they differ as
I widely as the English and the French,
> but the bond of religion has bounu
| them together for Beneratlt9ns, VIZ ~
never a fratricidal war in their lhou-
The Belgian constitution, framed in
| 1880 by convention Of Belgians, guar
/ antees freedom of conscience, OF eau
| cation and of press, and the right OF
/ peaceful assemblage. The l5ingshtp. IS
| filled by succession. There IS caDl-
net. a senate and a house of represen-
\ tatives. A senator's pay remarka0Io
as it may seem, is free pass on the
railroads without dollar Of actual
! salary. A representative gets a Tree
| pass and $500 a year
MAY Cast Three Votes.
The suffrage laws are interesting. A
Belgian gets one vote when he reaches
the age of 25. If, at the age Of 50, he
pays 81 in taXeg. and is. married or a
widower with legitimate children, ne
gets a second vote. If he pays Ger
| tain amount Of taxes or holds uni
versitv diploma he is entitled to two
additional votes-except that in no
| case may a man cast more than three
votes In selecting representatives
parties and not men are voted LOT, ana
each party gets representative IN
proportion to its voting strength
The Belgians are fine farmers. They
grew, last year, 81 bushels Of wheat 10
| the acre wnere we grew is; 80 bush
! els Of barley TO our "a; 312 bushels OF
potatoes to our 90.
Belgium has been a land of low
wages and cheap living. Many Of the
people who fashion our exquisite Bel
/ elan Iaces get only IS a week, and the
| average wage earner's income IS only
about S165 year. But with all tnal'
| the Belgian housewife, an artist IN
making a little go long way, has fed
her family well and clothed them COM
] fortably,
| There were no milkmen IN Belgium,
] for the women drove the dog carts that
constituted the nations milk wagons.
Every milk can had TO shine, every dog
/ had to have harness to fit him, bowl
I for his drinking water and carpet or
/ bag TO lie down on when tired no
I dog in Belgium, except those of the
! rich, escaped bearing his share of the
/ family burdens.
The people Of Belgium were the
worlds greatest beer drinkers before
( the outbreak Of the present war, with
1 4S.S gallons per capita per year, as
| compared with the German consump-
I ton of 26.S gallons. On the other hand
! the Belgians used only one gallon OF
wine as cOcmpared whit the French
mans "a gallons.
! Railway Fares Low.
Railway fares were very low.
/ double daily journey Of 20 miles cost
| 81 1-2 cents a week; of A miles, SO
| cents week. Every person entering
| n railroad station had to pay one cent
! for that privilege, and the revenue
! therefor amounted to $4,000 q year.
Beigium's foreign business was
/ large. Those wonderful little engines
/ that did such good work at Panama
were Liege made. and an example OF
Belgiums exports. The country's for
eign trade was greater than that Of all
South America together. II the United
I States imported as much per capita as
Belgium. its imports would total SlZ,-
OO0,0O0,0O0 a year; If we exported as
much per capita our export business
would amount to 100000 000.O0 a year.