Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-07-08

a TLANTIC CITY. NJ j., July belgium
II promises to be the first Phoenix among
- nations to rise triumphant from the ashes
of war. With every acre of her farm land
planted, with preferential indemnity that will
give her payment from Germany ahead of
other nations, with body polite unaffected
by the destructive influences of BolShevlSm
she is today on her toes ready for a sprint into
ElySan fields of prosperity.
This Interpretation of actual conditions in
Belgium today is given by DR.. Jules DueSberg,
of Liege, who attended the recent medical con-
vention here as a delegate from the Belgian
government. DR.. DueSberg with his wife and
four children escaped from Belgium in the
spring of 1915 They came to this country and
he was attached to the Johns Hopkins univer-
Sity, of Baltimore, until the close of the war
permitted his return to his home.
From his stay in Belgium since the signing
of the armiStce, from his conversations with
rediScoyered friends who lived through the
years of German bondage, and from his obSer-
vationS of all types and classes Dr. DueSberg
has pieced out an authentic narration of con-
dtionS there. ..
In the first place he emphasizes the terrible
destruction vented on Belgium by PruSSian mil
itariSm. For fifty months the entire country
was German depot-a depot where every
thing was subordinate to the efficient opera
ton of the German military machine. Rail-
roads were torn up, homes and institutions con-
verified for military purposes, industries wrecked
factories razed and families separated. The de-
tails of many atrocities are of course well
known. They must be remembered to give the
playground for unfortunate Belgium as she is
today.
The first result of this condition, Dr. Dues
berg says is universal unemployment Of her
normal industrial life hardly anything is func-
tlOnlng except the few coal mines which ESCAPED
the weight of German destruction. Hundreds
OF thousands of men and women are out OF
work. with small prospects of finding it for
many moths To all of these the Belgian gov
eminent pays regular unemployment wage"
ne drain OF this expenditure on public treas
ury which has collected no taxes for over five
years, and which faces a condition where there
is virtually nothing to tax, is apparent
so tar there is little labor unrest in Belgium
and as long as the unemployment grants con-
tlnue BolSheVlSm is not regarded as menace
Inc workers, too seem to realize that the gov
eminent is doing everything in it's power to get
back to normal and that no change in gov
eminent could in itself have any eject toward
bettering the situation.
In agriculture the situation is better. Bel
GUMS soil has tlwayS been cultivated to an ex-
tent which would be thought impossible by most
American farmers The war succeeded in i'll
creaSing the intensity of soil cultivation Not
only did the Germans demand food from the
subjected nation, but the BelgianS themselves
in order to live at all, were forced to produce
more food. The work of the American COM
mission for relief in Belgium was/only able to
supply about three-fifths of the minimum guam
tity of food necessary for existence. The Bel
gianS faced the alternative of meeting this
deficit themselves or ceaSing to be a race AS
result of their effort, Dr. DueSberg states that
there is now scarcely an acre of vacant land
in Belgium which is not planted with some
form of substantial food product
In one respect the BelgianS' position is really
superior to that of many former belligerents
The allied governments anxious to remove as
much of the burden as possible from the
shoulders of the little state, have written off
the great majority of fer debts to them for
munitions, equipment and war financing. The
people are not faced with the staggering debt