The Sentinel=record., 1915-05-11
BUSINESS REPORT
 IS NOT JUSTIFIED
ATTEMPTS TO MAKE IT APPEAR CONDITIONS IN WAR ZONE
 ARE UNCHANGED
Details of the Situation, However, Prove That Most Untrue S the Re port of Normal Conditio Any where.

London May 1o.-A striking picture of the condition of affairs in Belgium
 is given by an article in the Berlin
 Norwaerts. protesting against too op-
 timistc views in the German press of the Belgian poltcal and economic
 situation. The extracts of the article as published in London are:
 The attempt 10 apply the slogan , Business as usual 10 the present state
 ol things in Belgium is due in part 10
 the inability of the newspapers 70
 make necessary investigations there
 We are told that the houlevards of i Brussels are crowded and that great
 numbers of people occupy the chairs in front of the cafes: therefore we de- duce that social life is going on as usual throughout the country
 'But We can correct such a judg
 ment promptly from the figures oT the public relief institutions For an ap- , preciation of the real economic situ- ation in Brussels and of the psych 3- logical situation of the people there, a knowledge of public relief is more i'm portant taan the appearance of the
 boulevard.
 "It is undeniable that in Brussels the number of burghers forced to fetch their food from one of the re-. 1 lief centers is growing In September the figures were lG2 per cent; on April they are 2S per cent of the population.
 Another point Of importance is the increasing dearness of thines.
 IL is au exaggerated view to take chat norma conditions are returning 'o city where 210o00 people are ced duy ty charity. For this pJr2ose over $l3,00O day is required, and this does not provide for the distri- ibution of clothing, relief of unemployed and care of children. Private charity is almost exhausted, and voluntary collections produce less and ess.
 Tn the Belgian provinces the situa- ton is about the same. The German authorities are willing to improve these conditions, but there are many difficulties Railway tariffs are con- stantly altering, so that business peo- pie are unable to regulate their traffic in the light of knowledge of the cost of transportation Public telephone
 communication is not allowed. Busi- ness letters are subject to delay and rigid censorship. Telegrams frequent ly take three days for delivery.
 "Another difficulty is the uncertain ty into which industry is thrown by
 the constant requisition of machinery. The possibility of such requisitioning by the military authorities does not encourage the setting up of new ma chimes or the maintainance of old ones The revival of Belgian industry
 of which many of our newspapers speak, amounts to this number of
 businesses are working two or three days a week
 These facts should he warning against exaggerated optimism as to ameloration of affairs in Belgium.
 In neutral countries such talk can on
 ly have an unfortunate effect
 "The greatest organizing genius would not be able to restore the crush
 ed industries of this most troubled of all countries by a wave of the hand,
 or raise again the courage of people
 who are as deeply attached as Ger
 mans themselves to their political in-
 dependence