The Washington herald., 1920-10-26
BELGIUM FAST
REGAINING OWN
Everybody Works In Land
That Was First to Be
Devastated in War.

Belgium has nobody but herself
TO thank for the remarkable meas
Ure Of recovery from the war
which she has so far registered
writes ]. P. Bean. in the Westmin-
ster Gazette. But the fact remStns
that she was the first IN and will
be the first out.
To begin with, Belgium Is work
ing; that is the all-important over
riding fact II is perfectly true
that employers complain Of the
eight-hour day. that workers com
plain OF the cost OF living, and that
everybody INDUCES in those con
versationsl fashions which arc
spreading through the world; but
nevertheless, Belgium goes or
working.
One hnds there no evidence OF
that public lsssitude and tndirer-
ence which is at its height in Ger
many and is trscesble in almost
every other country in the world.
The doctrine OF work as the solution
Of all trouble IS accepted, not only
and workshops.
Beat Enorts Put Forth.
Belgian peasants have Away
worked; these small proprietor
have every reason at all times &c
put forward their best efforts, but
the Belgian industrislist lie also
working. Notwithstanding every
thing that is said TO the contrary.
Those who knew him in the pre-
war days, when eleven hours was
the rule and leisure and recreation
were almost unknown, and who
would 60 back to that condition OF
affairs, may tell you that because
he has two or three hours a day
for himself and because he has
fallen a victim to the universal
cinema. the Belgian workman IL
not what he was: but those who
are able to compare him with the
workman OF any other land main
main a firm admiration for the Bel
gian as a workman.
Belgian industry has always been
the buffer Of international conpe-
tition. Every laborer in Belgium
has personal experience OF the mean
ing Of foreign competition, and that
makes him take his work seriously.
But, whatever may be the reason.
the fact is that the Belgian. 10 a
man. is doing his best and that
simple fact alone is sufficient 20
place Belgium at the head of the
nations at this moment and to as
sure that she will be the first 70
enjoy the comforts and blessings
OF material prosperity.
A Contrast in Methods.
The last sight which the visitor
witnessed on leaving England re-
Gently for q visit 20 Belgium was
sign on the side Of a shop door.
The carpenter was knocking in the
nail. an assistant was holding an
other nail, and q second assistant
ws in charge OF the bag which con
tanned the nails. The first sight
which met the view on reaching
Ostend was. sinEle-hsnded car
penter successfully struggling with
the difficulty OF fitting a shop
front without assistance.
Belgium is out TO get going. and
every Belgian is determined TO ac-
compIish that desirable result
There Is no striving after an un-
attsinable ideal; there is simply .
practical determination to patch
things up and get q start. A tele-
graph post on the station at Os-
tend, made OF a roughly cut tree.
not cut quite straight, and with no
attempt TO give IL a finish. Is in
dicative OF the way things are done
1t is obvious that no committee
ever considered the erection Of that
post, no plans were submitted. and
no officials had to certify the dis-
lecticaI exactitude OF its specihca-
tion. The post was wanted. and
somebody just put II up. The I'm
preston OF that simple post re-
mained throughout a careful exam
ination Of conditions generally.