Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-04
BELGIUM IS RISING
FROM WARS RUIN
Phoenix-Like, Little Monarchy
Strives to Recover From
Hun Torch.
TWO CLASSES OF PEOPLE
Liegc, Verviers and Charleroi
Principal Cities That Are
Forging Ahead Industrially.
TWO CLASSES OF PEOPLE

ok LONDON May 3.--Bclgium as today
constituted. though an independent
t tnnonnrGS!h ,yy; is really a, collection of
y az Jealous today as IL was I'm the
i9yurteenth century of its communal
NO and self-suiiiciency. Each com
muhe has arrived at IT'S own intcrprc-
'htion not only OF it's own needs. but
SE.n or us appiicat lion OF the central
iis" -, which have been imposed upon
whether that state be national as at
present or foreign. as under the i'm
Peria or spanish rule.
me head Of each little state or
commune is the bourgmester. He is
Fra merely Ell , little funetionary. as in
powers and remote influence. but is.
80 II Were. the head Of elan. with
ne moiding OF the destInies Of his
Replace Central Authority.
Turing the past four years these
,pSeluFsmesters nave entirely replaced
Wlth thclr cchevins. their communal
cPunciilors have devised each for him
son means Of perpetuating the au-
tpuoih! oil their communal existence
and OF settling at naught or evadinc
me ., proclamations and DEGREES OF their
22 npr ;e, The two Belgian races
IN TINS particular. they are frondeurs
S9%m,mTunaux nrst and Flcmings or
otherwise the differences between
NE Two races Is very marked Elan
uets ~ essentially agricultural. 1t has
a population OF peasants in its towns
~ well as in its country districts. a
population OF stolid. hard working
tonserya'iTes It's cities. once the cen
nav. remained untouched by the in
nuehce OF the industrial revolution OF
ne nine:eenth century. with the sole
exception of Client, which is Justly
proud Of her great cotton Industries.
but Bruges and fpres have lost their
Et Nc. Al ,t,uf,
tra!ized In the great port or Antwerp
Essentially! Industrial.
hand. essentially syndicai and indus.
trial. and their development OF the
ron. wooiien and glass industries has
been the more remarkable when one
considers that tn. raw materials have
hai to be fetched from foreign coun.
Possibly no cities In Europo have
SHOWN such persistency in Industrial
aeye!opment az have L!eRe. Eerviers
ana Char!eroi. and this is saying much
when one reflects the industrial
progress OF Germany since 1871 But
All this is local industry. continually
destroyed and as continually re erected
tn!puBn the uncomfortable Will OF fhc
!oca! population. belgium has through
9ut the ~centurics been the cockpit OF
EURO. But no sooner has the in
Eauer disappeared than the communes
I've I've, sci ihemselvSs 10 the. work OF
c,tteconstruction. probing each time by
the lessons learned in adversely.
HclEIum Natural barrier
The position OF Belrium makes her
almost naturally the barrier between
Her grea; function has ever been 20
STAND IN the Way, OF the .aggressor.
BslElum,s love Of her soil, her hatred
OF foreign interference. bred OF cen
turtles OF foreign domination. caused
her people 10 rise rs one man when
the German bully demanded "a right
OF way. Each commune, speaking ana
acting Tor itself. endeaNorcd fearless
y TO arrest the overwhelming ava
superior authority. for they We're fon-
deurs and quixotic. And today lhcy
are PAYING fer their unconauerab bic
end, though the spirit OF reconstruc-
ton remains unchanged
No more pttiable sight exists in the
dustry. which are continuous fron,
chareroi to Namur. from %nmur TO
Ncry!ers ana i.iese and from LeGe
TO Tir!emont, I.ouyain and Brussels
The Sccnt Is one OF utter desolation.
SYSTEMATICALLY. and with wonderful
ingenuity the German had set about
ana ACCOMPLISHED his task OF destroy
inE Belgian competition with his own
Industry. such machinery us could
not be transpianted has been buried
tho factories themselves arc but gap
ing wounds ON The earihs surface:
crying for Vengeance 70 the skies and
the four winds OF heaven.
But even today the work OF recon
struction is beginning. The quick
Ml'tcu coi!e eS3tiIilS VI NhilYon III:
dustrlaIs know what they want and
intend TO have it, despite all hindran-
ccs which may he put in their way.
They know their own psychology and
are sure Of themselves Centuries of
oppression have taught them To he
*clf-rciiant: h::vc shown them how and
when TO take risks.
They have long been. and still will be.
Inc most prosperous people IN Europe.
despite the setbacks which they have
suffered. Time and again they have
seemingly committed suicide for the
sake of their individuality and auton-
my They have Knocked and derded
their upprcssUrs, even in the hroes or
hgpny, and have emerged like the
phoenix with new and revived viGoi
from the consuming fire Of adversely.
Such Is the spirit Of Belgium. and
1t is this spiri, that viii accomplish,
her regcncra ION.