The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-11-05
BELG|AHS ORGANIZE
CO-OPERAT|v Plan
FOR CONST RUCT|Ok

ksf washington, Nov. 3.-The econom-
" ic restoration of Belgium will be I'M
dertaken under direction of group
of Belgian manufacturers and mer-
chants, with branches in Paris, Lon
don and The Hague.
The organization will be Incorporated
as a Belgian cooperative aid society.
Tt will be called the National Bureau
"a for the Revival of Economic Activity
in Belgium.
This organization will act as a
purchasing agent to replace tools, put
Belgian commerce and industry on
its feet.
"And, after the first great burst of
Joy Belgium Will settle down and go
back to work. declares Professor PAU
Van den Venden, director of the Bel
gian official information service and
- former professor at the University OF
who has just returned 10
: this country from Havre.
efJ- Thanks to the American people.
sarthe food problem will be solved. The
commission for the relief Of Belgium
will undoubtedly double its efforts,
that the coast is freed and there
are so many more to feed.
r,Fe. but the great problem is Ne en-
ployment for the more than million
idle laborers who will be left in Bel
- gium.
Dependent On Industries.
go "Belgiums national life depends
= more heavily its industries than
that of any othe Fnation except Eng
II land The Germans, in their four
years of occupation, have requisition-
- ed practically all of the raw materials
!, and machinery in the country.
T" They have left Belgium an empty
- SHE'LL
t-'H There is work enough to do to re-
build the cities and towns and make
Il the country habitabIe for the thou
sands of refugees who will pour back
as soon as the Germans are driven
across their own border. But it can
mot be done without machinery and
q raw materials For these and for the
~ credit with which they must be OBJ
= tanned, Belgium will have to rely on
her allies"
-d55 Society Cooperative.
ee For the making OF the purchases
and the handling of the credit to be
- established, the Belgium cooperative
Society is formed.
Dor The officers of the bureau are
among the most distinguished bust
18ness men of Belgium stationed during !
the war in France, in England and in
.fat the Netherlands.
The society is open to all Belgian |
merchants and manufacturers. 1t will |
not be possible for any one to own !
more than ten shares nor to vote by |
proxy at 49, meetings on more than |
10 forty shares The annual dividend /
scannot be higher than 3 per cent. The |
'undfStrlbuted excess profitsS by |
means Of liquidation, will be divided |
among the members of society pro |
rata according to the business trans |
acted by them.
The national bureau will not try to |
Ata.ke the place of the usual means of |
business. Its only desire will be to /
make up for the temporary disorgani-
zation Of these means.
The purchasing programs will be
prepared by commissions with techni-
cal knowledge, who already have col
lected an invaluable amount of data.
Over all will be the final direction |
and control of the state. The minis
ter of economic affairs will have q
deciding vote. He will examine the
programs worked out by the buerau
He may amend them and supplement
them. He will approve the markets
finally decided on. He will fix the
conditions of loans and of credits
Operations will consist either in
purchases on the account of the
state, except with final reconveyance
by the latter to manufacturers and
merchants, or in purchases made on
the personal account of manufacturers
or merchants.
The state will take into considera-
ton the indemnities (which the man
facturers who are victims of Ger
man devastations will have a claim.
lnden1nities Credits.
8 Second, the credit and the ma
chinery and materials that Belgium
must obtain from her allies will by no
- means represent a loss. for they must
be paid for by Germany" declares Van
den Nenden. Belgium seeks no punt
Ctive indemnities, for money cannot re-
pay her people for their sufferings
But she asks for every dollars worth
= of property that has been stolen by .
the Germans be replaced, and that in .
cludes the stupendous sums taken by
way of fines as well as PREPARATION {
or destroyed cities and ruined factor {
les. !;