Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-01-22
FlEMlNGS PLANNING
FOR OWN GOVERNMENT
Are All Loyal to King Albert,
However, but Want Sep
arate Legislature.
Ccorre.ponden'c OF The Associated pr,-

Correspondence Of The Associated Pres,
IiiE HAGUE, Jan. 13.-One of the
real guarantees" which Gorv,ar,.
may seek I'm it's peace terms Ga n
Nrheine OF dual government for RoI-
SUM according To- Or. Franz van
i"uNeIheft' member Of the Belgian
naiI'pef ief ana one of the foremost
'vauvis i OF tho Flemish people OF Rel
'ISlt 10 the seat OF the Belgian GOV
..rnlheht at llavre and has told tho
Associated Press correspondent of an
Albert. WIN N'"S
King Albert" he saws. "foIlows
me Flemish question with the boon.
81 interest. He feels sincere svnnna- =
my with Flemish rights and has nm
,urncst desire that there shall be no
'uhs suasc abuses, and he has no preiu-
uICe 'Stlnst our solution Of tho prob-
lonl. . further. no Fleming has ever
,,NpIessed or cntcrtains the slightest
Ilstrust OF his sovereign, who Is hold
ny us In the highest esteem and is
Ihuted very popular with the entire
Hullon. King Albert is very con
Hclentlous and chershes a high idea
OF the great charge entrusted ia him
WIN the crown. He takes "A cni,,
"eI-consldered view of politics in
General and is opposed to ovorythinr
IN 'he nature OF an adventurous poi-
,cN' Ihnt he ever went TO war was
and duty" '''
lie added that he found King Al
bert enjoying good health ana in ex-
ccllent spirits.
Doctor Van Cauwelaert tried 70 OK.
pam lust what II Is the Flemish peo-
pie really want He said:
Want Separate Parliament.
we want the complete dcvelop-
mcnt or all the possibilities of our
ptople, economically, intellectually
ana In every respect and that is NOT
attalnahle without the establishment
or lull language communion between
the higher ana the lower strata of tho
nation. To that end our great aim
Is that. not only elementary educa-
tion, rs now, but every sort of higher
euuootion snail he available thru the
medium Of Flemish. Further. we
want a equipped Flemish nross
a more extensive literature. Flemish
i2lng the public administration I'm
FLANDERS. and a general Improvement
OF the social conditions of the peo-
Pile"
Discussing tho various political
schemes advocated BY different
groups of Flemings during the war.
Van Cauwelacrt pointed out that The
extreme section, which stood for "A
Independent state. really
i'dd no basls OF existence and was now
ingardly factor 1t is proposed Il
'Flamenland'. with parliament and
government of Its own. bound TO tho
rest of Belgium only by the crown. |
AFTER the pattern of Austria Hungary. |
group iaVors what is called |
administrative separation OF the |
Flemish and the Walloon or French |
speaking parts OF Belgium. but II mas |
only obtained any Significance since |
the outbreak OF tho war, "and its |
members do not themselves know eN- |
Dctly what they want.
MY yiow," he concluded, rs that |
given some amount of goodwill also |
on the Fronch-speoklng side. we can
achieve all our objects without un- |
iermining the political unity Of Rel |
stum, The matter would be stlll more /
facilitated II our Flemish provinces |
were able TO exercise moro initiative
In their own affairs. IL would even
be desirable. after the war, TO Increase
he competency OF our provinces as
administrative Nnts. That would con-
tribute toward the solution OF the .
hnEuabc question. In switzerland, |
where thrco equal languages have TO
'Nist side by side-German, French
ma Italian-there is no language
conflict like ours. thanks partly to
he local autonomy enjoyed. The l.
splitting Of Belgium into two distinct
inlts. as suggested. would weaken So
mall country to an undesirable ana
dangerous degree, and it the same
md can be achieved by other means.
hat would be much preferable For
( divided In language, economically
iolgium is one"