The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-08
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
BUREAU
FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Director.
Washington. D. C
BELGIUM AFTER THE WAR.
Washington, D. c.

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 a body polite IN
affected by the destructive influence
of Bolshevism. she is today on her
toes ready for a sprint into Elysian
fields of prosperity.
This Interpretation of actual condi-
tions in Belgium today is given by Dr.
Jules Duesberg, of LieEe, who at
tended the recent medical convention
here as a delegate Il m the Belgium
government. Doctor 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 uni
versity, of Baltimore. until the close
of the war permitted his return to his
home.
From his stay in Belgium since the
signing of the armistice, from his con-
versations with rediscovered friends
who lived thru the years of German
bondage. and from his observations OF
all types and classes, Doctor Duesberg
has pieced out an authentic narration
OF conditions there.
In the first place he emphasizes the
terrible destruction vented on Belgium
months the entire country was Ger
man depot-a depot where everything
was suboIdinated to the efficient
operation of the German military ma
chine. Railroads were torn up, homes
and institutions converted for mill
tary purposes, industries wrecked. fac
tories RACED and families separated.
The details of many atrocities are of
course we'll known. They must be
remembered to give the background
for unfortunate Belgium as she is
today.
The first result of this condition, DR..
Duesberg says, is universal unemploy-
Tnent OF her normal industrial life
hardly anything is functioning except
the few coal mines which escaped the
weight of German destruction. Hun
dreds of thousands of men and women
are out of work, with small prospect
of finding it for many months. To
all of these the Belgian government
pays a regular unemployment wage"
The drain of this expenditure on
public treasury which has collected no
taxes for over five years, and which
tually nothing to tax, is apparent.
So far there is little labor unrest in
Belgium and as long as the unemploy-
ment grants continue Bolshevism is
not regarded as menace. The work
ers, too, seem to realize that the gov
power to get back to normal and that
no change in government could in it.
self have any effect toward lettering
the situation.
In agriculture the situation is better
Belgium's soil has always been Guilt
waited to an extent which would be
thought impossible by most American
farmers. The war succeeded in in
creasing the intensity of soil cultiva-
ton. Not only did the Germans de-
mand 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 Ameri-
can commission for relief in Belgium
was only able to supply about three
fifths of the minimum quantity Of food
necessary for existence. The Belgians
faced the alternative of meeting this
deficit themselves or ceasing to be a
race. AS result of til ir effort Doc
tor Duesberg states Il at there is now
scarcely az acre of vacant land in Bel
GUM 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 gov
ernments, anxious to remove as much
of the burden as possible from the
shoulders of the little state. have
written off the great majority of her
debts to them for munitions, equip
ment and war financing. The people
are not faced with the staggering
debt which is the outstanding feature
in so many countries. The financial
situation is. however. complicated by
the presence in the country of mill
ions of dollars of worthless German
paper, wit which those unwelcome
guests paid" for tile many articles
which they took forcibly from the
native tradesmen. The Belgian gov
eminent. acting wit great prompti-
tude and foresight has bought up al
most all of this paper and is holding
II as part of the debt which Ger
many must pay in settling her ac-
counts.
The main problem before Belgium
in the opinion OF her leading business
men is rapid resumption of interna-
tional trade. There is room to spare
for American capital and enterprise in
helping to restore this country. Bel
GUM has always been good customer
in the international market and there
is little fear that the investments so
badly needed by the stricken nation
will not develop profitable returns for
those who make them.
AS an example of the way Belgium
is setting her house in order to pre-
pare for visitors. commercial and 9TH
erwise. Doctor Duesberg cites the inn
provement of the railway system. In
the early days of this year the rail
journey from Brussels to Leige. about
seventy miles. took seven hours, pas
sengers being herded in broken-down.
windowless cars. Just before sailing
for this country a few weeks ago, Doc
tor Duesberg made the same journey
in little over two hours. Steps are
being taken to electrify large part of
the railroads within the next year.
Belgium will gain little territory by
the peace terms. The edict at Yer
sail1es is that she shall annex only
small portion of former Germany ter
ritory on her eastern border. This is
allotted to her. il is said. because the
population is predominently Flemish
and because the district contains some
few coal mines to recompense her for
the domestic mines destroyed by the
Germans. The Belgian people on the
whole seem perfectly contented with
this small acquisition. preferring a
small and homogeneous nation to a
large one torn by racial dissension.