El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-02-27
WAS
PLEASURE SPOT
Fob BEL6IiN5
Was the One Luxurious
Foible of Hard Working
People of Country.
HAD ALL THAT
MAKES PARIS GAY

~ TASHINGTON. D. c., Feb. 2l.-
M Drawing a picture Of Brussels
as it was before the present
war. the National Geographic society
describes the capital Of the Belgians in
the following terms:
City Was Built to Please.
"The Brussels Of before the war was
the one indulgence that the Industrious
Belgian folk permitted itself Other
Belgian cities were built for practical
purposes-for the Belgians are the hard
headed folk Of the centuries-but Brus-
sells was built to please Strategic
sites near the raw materials OF Industry
vantage points for the distribution
of agricultural produce explain every
Belgian city, except Brussels and Us
tend-and Ostends was built exclusively
for the benefit Of rich foreigners with
money to spend. Brussels was the weak
ness, the luxurious fOible Of the hardest
working Of peoples
PARIS on a Smaller Scale.
Brussels had the charms Of a min
iature It reproduced, feature for fea-
ture, the breathless pleasure OF Paris,
the bright art and student bohemia, the
teeming night life, and ali OF the De
JvjIderinq pastfmes Of the ultra in fash
ion and fortune. These things were just
as in Paris though drawn to a much
smaller scale. But proportonately there
were more Belglans IN Brussels Lnan
Frenchmen in Paris or Germans in Ber-
lin or EngllShmen IN London InOS6
three greater war capitals. have the
peoples Of the world among them Brus-
sells was primarily Belgian.
The population OF the city, together
with its suburbs, exceeded half mil
lion. Brussels was considerably larger
and hvelier than the American capital,
Washington. which, IL might be noted.
is the smallest and most sedate OF ali
the important capitals Of the world
NsVerthe less, even Washington has
more solid. more extensive appearance
than the chief city OF Belgium.
An UnnRVigable River.
THE city lies no the unnaTigaole
river Senne, so miles from the sea Old
Brussels is pentagonal and magnificent
boulevards mark the sites Of the old
Qualifications New Brussels lies on
higher land, It is dry and healthful, and
contains the finer residences and most
of the beautiful public buildings The
lower town is devoted TO business and
to the canals which reach to Client,
Bruges, Antwerp and CharierOi-
Brussels began somewhere in the
seventh century as congregation. q
congregation which gathered to hear
St Gerry, bishop Of Cambray, preach
st. Gerry was one of those rare old
heroes Of young Christianity. who
matched their teachings with their lives
and who were in command OF an irrc-
siStfble elOQuence. The camp Of relig
iOus enthusiasts grew rapidly into q
village, which early distinguished itself
in manufacture and trade.
Brussels has had a changeful his
tory. By the early middle ages it had
grown wealthy. and it has always since
remained a home Of wealth and OF
splendOr. 1t has been twice destroyed
by fire, and has acknowledged many
masters.
Is Land OF Working Man.
Belgium is a land Of the working
man. There was, probably, hardly a
drone to be found in all the little king
dom. Everybody was in business in
Belgium; everybody was bent upon
making money. and everybody was
proud OF his business and his bent In
short the whole country was self made,
and, therefore, democratic. Brussels.
on the other hand. the national luxury,
has always been aristOc-aCic in tone and
feeling. The symbols Of labor and Of
practically were not allowed to OBJ
trude in Brussels, which stands like
an oasis in the desert with its SAVIOR
vivre, its pure taste in architecture, its
devotion to art, music and the theater.
its light gayety, and its gracefully worn
luxury. The splendOr OF Brussels Is not
the Grass splendOr Of the upstart: It IS
rather the pleasing elegance of an old
Kaiserstadt like Vienna"