Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-04-16
Movement to Establish a
Government in Origi-
nal Provinces.
LANGUAGE IS WIDELY
SPOKEN IN BELGIUM
Opinions Differ Widely as
to the Road to Attain
the Ends.

Correspondence Of The Associated Press.)
TlIE HAGUE, Netherlands. March
L 20.--The Flemish question. in
the new form 1t has assumed during
the war, is one OF the problems that
Is expected to figure seriously when
ever peace negotiations come to the
determination Of the status CT Bel
GUM. There is already in existence
one Flemish movement, with its own
press organ, The Vlaamscne Post
c"F'lemish Post'D. whose motto Is an
entirely separate Flemish KINGDOM,
comprising not only the Flemish part
OF Belgium, but also the original
Flemish provinces in northern
rance.
In the Majority.
The larger half of the population
of Belgium is of Flemish race, speak
ing various Dutch or Netherlandish
dialects known collectively under that
term. The last census, in 1910,
showed that OF :he 7,423,0 900 inhabit-
ants OF the country. 3,220,000 spoke
only this Flemish or Netherla ndish
language, and 100000 only French.
Tho difference in the numbers Of
those who spoke mostly Flemish and
those who spoke mostly French was
some 100000 in favor of the former.
Further, the five Flemish provinces
can boast of 4,776,OOO inhabitants.
whereas the four Walloon or French
speaking provinces, including Luxem-
bourg, have only 2,739,0O0. showing
thus a difference Of 100000 in favor
OF the Flemish. As regards increase
Of population. too. the latter have
the advantage, the increase in the
Flemish provinces in a recent year
amounting to $3.50. as against only
6,696 recorded for the Walloon prov
inces. Such big cities as Antwerp,
Ghent, Bruges, Malines and Brussels
fall within Flemish Belgium. and Of
these only Brussels has lost part OF
its Flemish character. though more
than half OF its 100000 inhabitants
still speak no other language.
Excluded From Science.
Up to 1880. the year when Belgium
obtained its separation from Holland,
the Flemish or Netherlandish Ian
guage, of course, held its own; but
the separation gave the chief political
influence into the hands of the
French-speaking part of the popula-
ton, and the Flemish movement
really dates from that time. While
the constitution recognizes both
French and Flemish as official lam
guages. and while the latter is ad-
mitted in the law courts 9nd reigns
supreme in the elementary schools in
northern Belgium, being also the
medium for about half the lessons at
the state secondary schools there, a
good deal of the languages right, ex-
lists on paper only For the bureauc-
racy is French speaking ("Frankil-
jons"o. the middle class largely so,
and Flemish is practically excluded
from science and all higher education.
which is serious handicap for the
Flemish people and helps to prevent
them from keeping abreast Of the
times in the matter of knowledge and
education. Only at two of the four
universities is a very limited number
OF lectures delivered in Flemish. so
that university education in their
tongue has long been one of tho
guiding aims of the movement under
consideration, and the question of q
Flemish university at Ghent has been
revived with fresh vgor in the last
few months.
Opinions Differ.
But now the war has given quite a
new turn and aspect to the move-
ment. The immediate effect of the
German invasion was that the Flem-
ish people turned toward France alb
horrng the invaders. Since then,
however. three Flemish groups have
gradually become distinguishable. All
three of these groups agree in the re-
solve that peace must at least bring
for Flanders adequate satisfaction of
her Just national demands. The unity
stops here. however, for opinions diff
fer widely as to the road to attain