Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-09-05
OSTEND IS FILLED
WITH PROFITEERS
IN EVERY TRADE
One Overcllarges Another,
but Both Get 1t Back
From Strangers.
NORMAL PRODUCTION IN
INDUSTRIAL CENTERS
Contrasts Ancient Fair, Revived,
With Wartime Scenes.
Finds Two Poppics.
ny CHARLES HENRY MI:i.TZE:N.
Special Correspondent OF the Crosu-
Atlantic NcNsunnrr Srryicc

Special Correspondent OF the Cro.n-
Atlantic Ncwsparer Srrricc.
more than anything in England 10
coWntr? IN the world has more to
teach one. / believe. iuEt now While
England and the United states are
"ranGl!ng. growing. striking. vast
ing time. this little country is a
hiye of industry.
But the poor foreigner who comes
this way should be prepared TO pay
outrascous!y for everything. For
rooms and autos. restaurants AMI
what he used 10 pay The BrIgians
arc u shrc~d and canny lot, es-
pscialiy IN. Flemish brand OF Bel
v" look back TO Liege. i.ouvain and
Dixmudc. We may clap IL on again
when We approach os;cnd.
gay at Antwerp. ths post var prof,
iicers seem everywhere. one half of
them arg r2uanderins their loot. The
Other half are robbing helpless
From The .nomen, when ono leaves
the boat from Dover. or stcams into
The Brussels Midi station. merry
hEh. for 'hackshccsh" is waSsd
TAXI shsrks and innSccp "% p0F' Thc
tariffs fixed officially for service rem
dercd, more or less effectively. are
laughed At The foreigner is hailed
az lawful prey. ]; Mr.. pici;w .c,t
were In Ostcnd a, this moinc1t. he
would have lights each tlmo he
or more francs are asked for drives
which jus, before the war cost four
or hve. or: w';h pour ao'.,. al
nn one" incrnnm ne I inxnrv sran xxi o;
apcrli! means more than square
m-n' meant 10 ones purse in former
days The difference in exchange.
Of course. helps strangers largely.
But TO the native. life mus, he an
awful problem. Though salaries ana
wages have gone up all over Bel
riun. these are dreadful ovcrchargcs
stu 10 cope with.
ProHtee-s Own Medicine.
There IS some fitness. to he sure.
IN EauSing many OF the patrons %.
,he kursaal and hotels in this bright
upon cheated proh;ecrs. II ,hey are
sw!ndied. they have sw!ndlcd more
/ they are only having fair dose
OF their Own physic. Ones pity
and. next. ] think. 10 the unhappy
foreigner. j, though stranger.
have been rather fortunate. For I
nave dodged ostend itself as much az
Apart from tho II. c. o. l.. and
also 81 the 9; Of II. L.. one does
this country. To watch the ndus-
try Of Belgium is itself very won
derful reward for tho investment o.
far , amoup, Of doiiars Their
guile. eNccpt whore many Of those
spcndthrift proiitecrs arc playing :as;
and loose with their ili-Cottcn gains
os,cnd, OF course is not to hc
taken AS a typical Belgian city. Il
~ a pleasure haunt. IA paradise OF
ranks with Deauville. in the "Ciramda
Semaine." and Vichy as il was in
other days. There IS no l!ni; 10 the
money one max spend here, /: one
rc..nn.s All Busy.
But directly one sets foot in the
near SUBURBS, or reaches tho frs,
side the causes Of the amazing and
deserved prosperity of this hard
headed people. The peasants are at
wo-k in all the fields. hoeing and
! crops Look wirre one may. the
signs OF patient, doGEed. silent ;oil
| appear. 70 oIr Is striking. No one
| Is .Grouchins." Every ono is busy
II Is the same. too. in the towns
which are Industrial ccnters. Tho
! chimncys which the boches haze not
mines, to some extent. are being
! worked. The mills arc throaged
| -, Ihesc BeiEians have not scorncd
Se They S SSse' gone IS reso 5ffny
! ~ back to grinding work. Unlike
| the English and the French and the
| .tNcr.canS. the: nave put wp..S t..
fore the utilities. OF politics. And
| that Is why. as the statistics shaw
they. are already doing almost as
much business as before the war.
Reconstruction Going Apnce.
They cannot make I.ouvain what /.
once was. nor can they ever con-
| walls OF the Yprcs Cloth Hail. But
where they can-and th", means al
gagged in roconstrnctins what the
| bochcs have ruined. New houses
built of concrete. with tiled roofs
3 2rs RISING ne r; as by magic near the
and trenches which recalled the
| tragic years when RclSians Eroanrd
beneath the invaders heel are being
cleared away, like memories OF dark
Red patches. check by towI with
browner patches. show where the
stricken and deserted homes of thou
weeds and flowers c,othe The ba,.
,iefields. And when J made lone
~ aeo p'isri Image to Ynres some DAYS
ssolemnity I, looked for, hut the
strange hubbub of the ancient an
What had once been the wide
Spa.SeS OF The market place was filled
win Flemish men and women. see
ing SHOWS and tossing rings. ten
TOT franc. at cups and dolls. Two
IIounua oonts with plunginG wooden
horses, were being patronizcd bv
scores scores of Flemish children. Two
saor,cn NUTS. erected in the past
we've months or so. gave board and
i loas1 TO the weary travellers. The
the air. stalls. heaped With cakes
I and sw e,,;,n iss did what seems TO
near, building in which those VIII
sought their dead could hire guide.
saw Il sign announcing grand
BALI in casino.
Autos and char-a-banes were
streaming in, packed. less with Eng
liish and Americans despite the fact
that. on the English side OF tho North
Sea. it was hank holiday than with
cxcIrsionists from Brussels and os.
Tend Of native birth. The ruins OF
the brown. grim Belgian barracks:
the pi'ifui remnants OF the converts
and the churches: the contorted rails
Of former military railroads; the
iniled-up stones and bricks OF what
md been prosperous city--all
No.. In