South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-08-22

with il we will challenge the world
this year; at home and no less
abroad. II IS cur lace"
The foregoing are the words or
the chairman Of The Belgian indus
trial investigation committee. The
challenge he voices has a twofold
interest for the United States on
It's face Il means a renewal OF the
supply OF the matchless Belgian inn
ported laCCs. But there Is q deeper
significance. There are 100 schools
II lace-maldnE ln Belgium; six Of
these have been selected by Amerl-
cans interested i'm the lace industry
for placing American advanced stu
dent lace-makevs, these in turn 10
become the instructors I'm the Amer
lean lace-making industry.
This IS the largest and most dciin-
tie effort 20 cultivate "a urst-class
lace making industry in this coun-
try ever planned. Whether from
pmong these students sufficient
genius win hc found for tho ambi-
tiOus purpose remains % De seen,
but the effort is q practicable one.
and American hopes arc high
Today. II IS said. Belgium is COW
men are I'm the fields or working In
the newly built Industries, thousands
Of women in the cottages. before the
doors. IN the farmhousCs, on the
shaded borders Of fields are work
ing tirelcssly 20 reproduce the famed
tissues which no machine has been
able 90 equal.
II is something Of an hereditary
art. is handed down from mother
10 daughter. and certain villages and
certain families enjC, additional re-
Tute for a particular quality OF work
or special variety of lace. These
thousands of women are all respon-
sible 20 the middlemcu. who act be
tween them and the manufacturer.
The manufacture knows none OF his
employees as a rule. He determines
only what varieties Of lace he wants
and the quantity This. and the
price he IS willing to pay. he con-
fdes 10 the middleman. the middle
man goes to his groups of work ers
and gives out the work, making his
own barEain-anG generally a pretty
good one-with each woman as 20
the wages she shall receive. The
wholesale producers-the manufac-
turers-have $50 factories In Bel
GUM. and the women employed by
the middlemen total $4,000. that
means $4,000 women depend on the
'GCe-making industry for their liveli-
hood. wholly or in part.
The story of the Belgian laces. the
lovely delicate work produced in the
rudest homes and shacks. is a fas-
cinating one. BruEes and Venice
are competitors for the honor of first
producing lace. The oldest known
record is a panel hanging in the
Louvre OF Paris. painted before 1889,
showing the Virgin Mary surrounded
by a group OF rich Bruges burghers.
one OF whom wears a cloak trimmed
with a clearly shown ''passem emit"
This is taken as proof tina. the lace
industry existed IN Flanders before
that time, and probably conferred in
Bruges. which at that time was the
center Of the luxurious Court of
burgundy.
BY tho end Of the fifteenth cen
fury lace-making was a part OF the
education of the women all through
the Low Countries. and Charles V.
ordered II 10 be taught in the schools
and converts. AS a curious per-
sistence OF tra lion. thrce-fourths
OF the 100 lacC-making schools In
Belgium today are under convent
control; moreover their methods of
teaching are considered superior.
and their work carries the eQuiva-
lent Of a guaranty.
The art spread rapidly throughout
Flanders and as far as Antwerp. and
the Flemish women in particular eX-
Cclled In the new craft They were
aided by the fact that the raw ma
teriaL always the finest flax, grew
on the soil. At first the designs
Il nj Of . f,r
Italian school, and Flanders won its
distinction primarily through its lib
eral development OF designs, partic-
ulGrly the reproduction in lace of To-
cal flora
Bv the middle Of the sixteenth
century Belgian lace was World-fam-
Gus, as far as the world then ran.
Spain. Italy France and England
all imported from Flanders and Bra
liant. the courts using il as the sign
of noble dress.
In those days all the lace was he
ing made IN the converts or by
women Of the first families. 1t was
Colbert, the saEaCious minister of
Louis XIV. who perceived in lace
making the opportunity for national
wealth; he founded the Manufacture
ROyale de Dentelles. bringing to
France 80 Italian and zoo Flemish
women lacC-makcrs. Similarly today
America expects 20 bring 10 this
country a group Of laCe-makers TO
build up a national industry. The
Louis XIV era gave tremendous
impetus 10 the industry, and the por-
traits Of his time show with what
ostentatiou lace was worn as part
81 both masculine and feminine at
tire. Several OF the most Cele-
brated points" appeared in this per
iOd. Among them were the point
de BruNelles." which Is made with
the needle. and "BinChe." famous
pillow lace: from Ypres came in
1865 "EalenCiennes." and from Elan
ders generally the several points
de Flanders" especially the 'cuip-
ures." most Of them distinguished by
their leaf and flower work. The
richest OF all Belgian laces. MA
llnes." appeared at this time. a. I'D
point d'AnEleterre," in which
needle and pillow work are blended.
The laces Of that day were rich and
heavy. but supple and consisted
chiefly OF an irregular Background
against which flowers and foliage
we're placed in relief. The next cen
fury, the seventeenth, saw each CEN
ter OF lace-makiuE adopting some
distinctive patterns Brussels be
came famous for rich open lace.
EruCes for its -gUipures." and so on.