The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-01-17

ivy al OIutl VI Tue mum VI
1919, 1t Is ordered as follows;
The courses In the University OF
Client will be given in the Flemish AN
guage. The chief Of the civil admins
t%ration near the government general IN
Belgium may, as exception, authorlze
the use OF another language in certain
branches of instruction. He Ia charged
with the publication of regulations oes-
tined to the execution Of this order.
cation Of Youth in Belgium? why this
solicitude for the culture OF q peopls
who were being harried and harassea
and imprisoned and put to deathE What
military necessity was 1t that reaulteu
a German general to interfere IN the
curriculum of a university there, in an
| occupied country, in the midst of say.
age warfare, in a city under martlal
| law, and in such abnormal conditions
that the university, unable to continue
| its functions, had been obliged to close
It's doors2
to Belgians; il was an element Of the
| cid difference between the Flemish ana
| the Walloons, and the ~BelgianS-and
the Flemish first among them-saW, az
once the meaning of this maneuVer that
wore the innocent air OF a mere dc"
| IDENTICAL measure,
a long time the center ABOUT whlch, the
| FlamIngant movement turned. 1here
Were two state universities in Belgium
one in Liege and one IN GhehIi poth
we're French, In the sense \ a French
was the language used OFFICIALLY III
| both, although certain courses OF lee
lures had been given in Flemish al
| Client,
For long years the leading Flamin,
gants, such men as Louis Franck, OF
| Antwerp, had labored to nave the UNI
yersity of Client transformed into a
Flemish institution. 1t was proposed
| Al one time to establish a new and eX-
| clusiyely Flemish university at Ant
werp, which is the center of the Flem-
| ish life and of the Flemish movement
But there we're no funds available Tor
such an ambitious and costly scheme
Then in March, 1911, the Flamin-
giants, under Mr., Francis leadership,
| brought forward in parliament a Dill
enacting that at the University OF
| Client all the lectures must be given IN
Flemish. -.
| cussions which only questions relating
TO race, language or religion can raise
| and when the measure was found TO be
too radical to Command he support OF
a majority, a new bill was presented
which recognized the two languages as
equal, and lectures were to be given
In both, even II a double staff of pro-
lessons was necessary. This, too, was
found to be too radical and a third
proposal was brought forth that the
university. be gradually transformed IN
TO a Flemish institution. The measure
was pending when the war came on
and nut an end to public discussion in
Belgium, for the FiemtnSs and wal,
looms closed their ranks and stood
shoulder to shoulder against the IN
vader,
When the purpose or the governor
general was revealed, a protest was M
,.natntAIty gnpt "a hin, written DrOD-
ably, by Mr.. Louis Franck, a deputy
for Antwerp and Just then acting nurgo-
master of that city, whose name heau~
ed the list OF signatures.
The Germans thought, no doubt, that
he and the other Flamingants would
welcome tho Intervention in favor OF
the old and darling project. Their first
deception came when this very leader
was the first to remark their hypocrisy
and resent their lmpertinent interior
once. He told them bluntly that the
famous question vas one that concerned
Beieians' not Germans, and that Bel
gians would settle 1t among themselves
and to suit themselves when the Ger
mans were out of the country,
The protest, and It was not TO be
the last in. what Is the darkest chap
ter In the whole dark history OF these
times. was another one OF those his
toric documents of the Belgian strug
gle for liberty, plaCina Louis FraneF
| n,onDg tho first ana most intelligent
agp't nv nnton's natriots In an instant
a. S.y ~ ~ n,]nIitica insight he saw ina
tM ~ ~ NM tho first maneuver o
ehe ~ Nochtoyolian Insirn To dlytd,
- 'ppni,io" uconlb and 10 destroy In,
wv pvie,Sn trsoisgion natton
SUN y ~ WaS sis"rd Nv the nres
Tvs VIZ 90 grHSt t,SGSish bunds
uuss{unSSs hau FOR t6cir nhiert inc on
"nnsm n"nv w EIon,isr %cn,tura m,
~ ro,,Nbers Of tho FORMER com
nrS1ission FOR The establishment Of {
misstun it ~ ''TTh|s Vas thn IN
rifluiSn unWNV,"o thnn tqa,pinsant,