The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-01-13
|BELGIAN MINISTER
|EXPLA|NS GERMAN
PLANS FOR BELGIUM

The Hague, Jan. 12.-One of the
"real guarantees" which Germany
may seek in its peace terms is
scheme of dual government for Bel
GUM, according to DR.. Franz van
Cauwelaert, member of the Belgian /
chamber and one of the foremost |
leaders of the Flemish people of |
Belgium. He has just returned from
visit to the seat of the Belgium |
government at Havre and has told
the Associated Press correspondent |
of an hours interview he had with |
King Albert.
"King Albert" he says, follows
the Flemish question with the keen
est interest He feels sincere sympa- !
| thy with Flemish rights and has an
earnest desire that there shall sbe no
language abuses, and he has no
prejudice against our solution of the
problem. Further, no Fleming has
ever expressed or entertains the
slightest distrust of his sovereign,
who is held BY, US in the highest es-
TEEN and is, indeed, very popular
with the entire nation. King Albert
! is very conscientious, and cherishes
Ia high idea of the great charge en-
trusted to him with the crown. He
takes calm, well considered view
of politics in general, and is opposed
to. everything in the nature of an
adventurous policy. That he ever
went to war was for him pure mat
ter of conscience and duty"
Discussing the German attitude
toward the Flemish movement, he
said:
Administrative separation is one
of the pet schemes of the German
occupiers of Belgium at the moment
1t is, indeed, one of the real guaran-
tees which according the the Impe
rial Chancellor, Germany will de-
mand despecting Belgium in its peace
terms. / am sure that the Germans
at first fully intended to stick to
Belgium; they would never have
thought of restoring her to indepen-
dence but for hard necessity. Re-
garding that as now out of the ques-
make Belgium weak by this scheme
of dual government, by creating an
internal antithesis, two separate and
conflicting parts neutralizing one an
others strength. They think, for in
stance, that if the French speaking
! half were inclined to lean toward
France, that very fact would tend to
make the Flemish half lean toward
Germany.
ssThe Germans in Belgium are en-
, deavoring to introduce such admin
istrative separation as far as lies in
their power. The education depart
ment has been split into two sections,
to deal respectively with Walloon and
Flemish Belgium, with a separate
set of officials. Such a measure
was by no means necessary accom-
paniment to the extension of the use
) of Flemish in the schools, but it fits
in with the German plan. The min
istry for the interior has not yet I'M
dergone a similar process, but orders
have been issued that Flemish shall
be the administrative language in the
regions concerned, and alb official
correspondence.
1--WE want the complete develop
! ment of all the possibilities of our
j people, economically, Intellectually
and in every respect, and that is not
F attainahle without the establishment
! of full language communion between
the higher and lower strata of the
nation. To that end our great aim
! is that, not only elementary educa-
ton, as nows but every sort of high
err education sshall be available
tlfsough the medium of Flemish.
: Further, we want better equipped
/ Flemish press, more extensive lit
erature, Flemishizing the public ad-
! ministration in Floanders, and gen.
: eral improvement of the social con-
: ditions of the people!"