Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-09-08

portance in the present Euro
pean disturbances. Both border
on countries Immediately concerned
and are pledged to be neutral. but Ger
many invaded Luxembourg ut the out
set Of hostilities, and the kaiser's Off.
Gals Of state notified Belgium that she
could expect like treatment
1t was this militant announcement
that caused Great Britain to plan to
plunge into the war and to ask parlia'
ment for a war fund Of $525. 600, 600.
Belgium has been q storm center in
many European wars, In few Of which
she was an active factor. Her plains
and valleys have been chosen against
her will by European generals as
grounds on which to decide their quar-.
rels by force Of arms. The whole
world knows it was in Belgium, at
Waterloo. that Napoleon and yelling.
ton clashed in their momentous death
grapple. resulting in the SCATTERING Of
the Corsican's dream.
Facts About Belgium.
Belgium. a kingdom. has total area
Of II 1873 square miles and a population
lat the census Of 1910 Of 7.516.730
There are nine provinces-Antwerp,
Brabant. Flanders (E. and W., Liege,
Hainaut, Iimburg, Luxembourg and
Namur. Brussels with suburbs. ESQ.,
sO6 inhabitants) is the capital
Other towns with over 100000 in
habitants are Antwerp. the chief port
(32O,64O, exclusive Of suburbs): Client
n65. 149) and Liege (174.768,.
Its great harbOr and commercial en-
trepot is Antwerp. u strongly fortified
city on the Scheldt. The other har.
bors are Ostend. Newport, Blanken.
berg and Zeebrugge.
French and Flemish are the joint
official languages. but while French Is
the language Of the upper classes
Flemish Is spoken by the majority,
preponderating in Flanders. Limburg
and Brabant. including Antwerp. Near
~ all the Inhabitants are at least nomi.
nally Roman Catholics.
Belgian Government.
The Belgian constitution Of 1881
Jointly vests the legislative power in
the king. the senate and the chamber
of representatives. The 10 senators
with the exception Of twenty-seven
elected by the provincial councils) and
f88 Representatives are elected by the
people. the former for eight the latter
for four years. Universal male suffrage.
with plural voting up to three votes
by property and educational qualiflca.
tons. was introduced by the electoral
law Of 1894. proportional representa-.
ton being secured by an act Of 1900.
The united constituencies numbered
1861. $40 voters. with 2.71O.851 votes
in 1901. There are in addition
representative provincial and com.
munal councils. elected ON a somewhat
more liberal franchise.
Belgium has frontier Of s31 miles
and is bounded on the north and east
by the Netherlands (269 miles,, on the
south and west by France (3S1 miles,.
on the east by Germany (sixty miles,
and the grand duchy of Luxembourg
eighty miles,. with a seaboard Of forty
two miles.
The Meuse and It's tributary. the
Sambre. divide 1t 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 bikes against foods.
cover an area Of 1913 square miles. The
highest hill. Baraque Michel, rises to
a height of 1890 feet. but the mean
elevation Of the whole country does
not exceed 536 feet
The principal rivers are the Scheldt
(Escaut and the Mas (Meuse). Brus-
sells has a mean temperature Of so
degrees r Summer. 63 degrees: win
ter, 81 degrees).
Antwerp is the principal fortress.
and Liege and Namur are also forti-
fed. forming "tetes-de-pont" on the
line of the Meuse. which was planned
as q defense against the violation OF