Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-01-14
8: The Truth About Belgium s.:
BY BRAND WHITLOCk

| the system, the Germans did not in
| terfere with the communal organi-
! cation as such; here and there they
| arrested burgomaSter or members
| of the common councils, but they re
spected the system as a system
they could not have governed the
| country so easily in any other way,
or, in the eyes OF the unthinking, SO
| cheaply acquired reputation for
efficiency by claiming as a result of
| their administration the compare tive
order that prevailed. That condi-
ton was wholly due to the school
ing in government the Belgians
had acquired in their communal sys-
tenn, and existed not because of, but
in spite of, German tyranny.
With this intense devotion to the
commune, there is, nevertheless, in
Belgium very high and striking
national spirit. The Belgian is not
only proud of his commune; he is
proud of being a Belgian.
Early German Policy
When the Germans arrived at
Brussels. the late Baron Won der
Goltz Pasha, the first governor gen.
gin to rule the country with fire
and sword; he issued, as will be re-
called, a proclamation to the people
saying that he asked no one to re-
nounce his patriotic feelings, aspira-
tions or sentiments. But Won der
Goltz Pasha did not remain long in
Belgium; he was soon thereafter
transferred to Turkey. And Won
Kissing came. Then the Belgian fla &
was ordered down, the people were
forbidden to wear the Belgian col
ors, or to display the flags of the al
lies, to sing the 'Brabanconne," or
the "Marseillaise' or the songs of
nj NV
calculated degrees, the pressure
closed upon them with the long, de-
liberate, well-matured intent to de-
stroy the soul of the Belgian nation.
On the twenty-ifth of March, in
1916, there had appeared in La Bel
gique. the organ of the general gov
eminent, this proclamation of a Ger
man general:
University of Client
Order of the Commander of the ".
Army, Prince Albrecht, Of Wurt-
temberg:
I'm modification of article Of
the royal order of the ninth Deem
Der, 1S49, it is ordered as follows:
The courses in the University of
Client will be given in the Flemish
language. The chief of the civil adj
ministration near the government
ton, authorize the use of another
language in certain branches of in
struction. He is charged with the
publication of regulations destined
to the execution of this order"
Why this sudden concern for the
education of youth in Belgium? Why
this solicitude for the culture of
people who were being harried and
haraSsed and imprisoned and put to
death? What military necessity
was it that required German gen
eral to interfere i'll the curriculum
of q university there, in an occupied
country, in the midst of savage war
fare, in a city under martial law and
in such abnormal conditions that the
university, unable to continue it's
functions. had been obliged to close
it's doors?
new to Belgiana; it was an element
of the old difference between the
Flemish and the Walloons, and the
Belgians-and the Flemish first
among them-SaW at once the mean
ing of this naneuver that wore the
The University Of Client had been
for a long time the center about
which the Tlamingant movement
turned. There were two state UNI
versities in Belgium, one in Liege
in the sense that French was the
language used officially in both, al
though certain courses of lectures
had been given in Flemish at
Client.
For long years the leading Flam1n-
giants, such men as Louis Franck, of
Antwerp, had labored to have the
University CT Client Transformed
into a Flemish institution. 1t was
1e@ and It ex 9 tme to sfaO 1a
versity at Antwerp, which is the
center of the Flemish life and of the
Flemish movement. But there were
no funds available for such an am
bilious and costly scheme.
Then in March, 1911, the Flamin-
giants, under MIR. Franck's leader
ship, brought forward in parliament
| a bill enacting that at the UNIVERSE
ty of Client all the lectures must
be given in Flemish.
discussions which only questions re-
lating to race, language or religion
can raise, and when the measure
was found to he too radical to COM
mand the support of a majority, a
new bill was presented which recog-
and lectures were to be given in both.
| even if do 15In staff of professors
| was necessary. This, too, was found
| TO be too ra'itc&. and a third pro-
| Dosal was brought forth that the
! university be gradually transformed
into Flemish institution. The meas
Ure was pending when the war came
| on and put IN enc to public discus
/ sion in Belgium, for the Flemings
! and WallOons closed their ranks and
stood shoulder to shoulder against
/ the invader.
When the purpose Of the governor
! general was revealed, protest was
! Immediately sent to him. written,
! probably. by Mr. Louis Francll, a
| deputy for Antwerp and just then
| acting burgomastcr OF that city.
whose name headed the list of sig
| ua lures.
Tho Gerr,5ns thcuont. no doubt.
| that he and the other FIamingants
would we.come the intervention in
! favor of the CID and darling project.
| Their first deception came when this
| very leader was the first to remark
| their hypocrisy and resent their I'M
| pertinent interference He told them
bluntly that the famous question
was one that concerned Re1gians,
| not Germans, and that Belgians
would settle If among themselves
and to suit themselves when the
! Germans Wer" ort Of the country
The protest. and it was not 10 be
! the last in what is the darkest chap
! ter in the whole dark history OF
| these times. was another ore OF those
| historic documents of the Belgian
struggle for liberty, placing Louis