The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-23
GERMANS STILL
HOPE TO RETAIN
BELGIAN LANDS
| Domination of Flanders vi
Sl III Def end Itself
Against England.
(London Saturday Review.)

Inc aims OF the EdA-STCE nave
lately been printed in "Das Grossere
Deutschland as a sort OF counter
blast. apparently, to the. moderates
Thests4ttaH gsntdt sHAny the por-
tons of France held yesterday; but
we suspect that, their C-aim in regard
to Belgium is considerably nearer to
| the official German view. The por-
| ton OF their manifesto that concerns
Belgium is worth attending to. Ger
many, they declare, has secured this
small neighboring state with the rap
i'd grasp of victory. The same rea-
sons which forced US to, dc this also
force us to continue our hold in the
future. Had Belgium accepted the
offer which we made when we center
ed her territory we might have lived
on In the belief that in later war
she could not become a tool in the
hands Of our neighbors. Whoever
still holds such opinions, and. still
more, dares to express them, COM
mits a crime against our people.
There is only one alternative: Belgium
must remain under German domin-
ating or it will become a weapon
against us in the hands of our enc
mics. That they would use this
weapon more rapidly, and with great
ar skill In any future war than at the
beginning Of this war; nobody dare
doubt WeS must reckon with this
fact as undeniable. The most vul-
nerable part of our country lies in I'M
mediate proximity to this gate of at
tack: the most important centers OF
jour Industry could be snatched from
us by a rapid grasp It would be
q loss which would almost make
continuation O., a war impossible. We
cannot determine whether fort1flca-
lions could defend us from it; they
would have to be greatly extended.
On the other hand, there exists no
better line of attack for the German
army in a future war, with France
than Belgium. In considering the
terms Of peace as regards France we
must remember that here in Belgium
even without the cession of French
territory, a weighty advantage over
France could be gained.
ssAjbove all, the domination Of Bel
Ritm improves our position against
england. 1t is not without good rea-
sons that from the very first moment
ii which England took part in conti-
uontals policy down to the present day.
ohe has upheld the principle that Bel
gfum must not be acquired by a first
class power. Her coast approaches
that of England to within about forty
knots, while the distance from Heligo-
land to the nearest point of the Eng
1ish coast approximates 240 knots
Nothing would prevent the construc-
don Of a fortified harbor ON tie
marsfy coast OF Flanders which could
not he successfully attacked even by
the most powerful fleet. The mouth
of the ScheIdt is in the possession OF
Holland bl1t the way from Antwerp
to Ostehds or Zeebrugge is only about
tenc kilometres longer than our Kiel
canal We should have a maritime
position which England would seri-
OusIy take to heart before she would
again attack us in war. And only
through fear can England be induced
to admit of a freedom of the seas
which is more than nominal. A writ
ten agreement oneerning such free
dom is worthless, he it through the
special adhesion Of England or
through any Hague convention. On
this, point we are surely sufficiently
enlightened But that we need this,
freedom OF the seas in order to sur
vive in the competition of nations-on
that point we are united, even to the
pacifsts. All neutral peoples, even
those In MARTINEZ countries, would
greet with Joy this freedom; they
WOULD become reconciled to the order
Of things through which we might en-
force it,
After approaching and combating
the German moderates, who are
against annexing politically independ-
emit peoples who value their freedom,
the Pan-German manifesto goes on to
explain how Belgium can be annexed
and the Flemish people be appeased.
It is no empty rhodomontade, this
Pan-German scheme, and we suspect
that 1t appeals to many official minds
in Germany today.
The more numerous and more
wealthy part of the population Gre
marks the manifesto) inhabits the
district in which, with the exception
of Liege, all leading cities, rich in
historical and cultured memories
brussels had in 1900 only IT per
cent. OF inhabitants who spoke only
French belong. There now exists
in the land a deep lire of cleavage.
The political opposition against the
in every part of the country would
remain the lasting sentiment of the
people if the Belgian state were
restored to its former Independence
But IL a German domination, with
the determined separation of the
Germanic and Romance districts of
the country, were introduced, help
ing the F'lemings in the schools, in
the courts, in the administration, and
granting adequate rights in political
representation to this section, it can
be assured a ready acceptance and will
attach to itself this Germanic part of
from year to year. Our worshippers
of culture ought to realize that the
value OF Belgium to civilization. it's
brilliant historical fame, rest with the
F1emings, not with the WalIoons, ex-
clusively with the Flemings. The task
remains to save this Kultur, German
in race and in essence, from being
covered and hidden by French var
nish.
IF Belgium is restored to inde-
pendence, its Germanic character is
lost this can, at best, vegetate on.
as was the case in the Spanish and
Austrian periods. The French langu-
age and French manners, already out
wardly SO predominant that the aver
age German who entered the country
hardly could recognize his racial rela-
ticnship, that even our official repre-
sentatives- had become accustomed to
regard Belgium as a purely French