The New York herald., 1920-11-25
Belgium's Great Economic Lesson
to the World.

W tue WOTIu.
That Belgium has made gratifying
and rapid progress toward the re-
establishment Of It's Industries and
trade on sound foundations is q fact
to which all who have knowledge of
the situation in that country testify.
The manufacturers and merchants Of
the nation have not succeeded in re-
pairing all the Injury done TO their
factories and their commercial con-
nections during the years the Ger
mans occupied most of the Belgian
territory, but they have accomplished
wonders. Their success has won the
admiration of all European observers,
and one of these, EUGINIo ARToM, an
italian, has put forward a theory to
explain 1t which deserves careful
study.
In an article In La TribunG of
Rome, presented to American readers
in translation by the LIFTING Age, Mr..
ARToM, after comparing postwar con-
ditions In Belgium with those in other
allied countries, recalls the fact that
as most of Belgium was occupied by
the enemy during the war the Belgian
Government had no opportunity to
impose on the producers and traders
In the nation such restrictions as
we're adopted In all the other coun-
tries. There was no absorption in the
Belgian Government of producing and
marketing, no public treasury support
for extravagant practices, no influx Of
Government officials into the direction
and control Of industrial and COM
mercial affairs.
Consequently, when Belgium was
evacuated by the Germans and the
nations own Government was re-
stored, the men who manage the coun-
try's industries and sell its products
had no such burden Of Government
oversight, regulation and meddlesome-
ness to contend against as did their
rivals in other countries. They had
suffered at the hands Of the enemy,
but when the enemy departed the
way was cleared for the applica-
ton of individual initiative to the
problems which had to be solved. Bel
ginn industry and trade were pros
trate, but they were not bound with
red tape. helpless in a mass of war
time enactments, regulations, restric-
tions and limitations.
The Belgian people knew that they
had to get to work to repair the dam
age that had been done to their es-
tablishments and regain the place In
world trade they had lost. They we're
able to get TO work without being
hampered by the deadening interfer-
ence of Government functionaries or
ouack legislative remedies. Their sit
uatlon was neither normal nor en-
viable. but at least they were spared
In large measure the crushing burden
Of political ignorance and expert
mentatlon which has been borne In
some other countries.
The result has been that Belgian
Individual initiative has had q re-
markably free field. Labor troubles
have been predominantly economic,
not political, in origin and purpose.
Mr.. ARroM contrasts this compara-
tive freedom of the Belgians with the
condition of other peoples whose Gov
ernments we're invested with great
and far reaching power over industry
and trade as a war measure. The
sacrifice of individual initiative was
cheerfully made by patriotic men. But
when peace came the bureaucracies
built UP for war wanted to keep their
power, while a good many workers
believed that continuation Of Gov.
ernment meddling in peace would
mean soft jobs and high pay. Agita-
tors saw the opportunity herein Of
fered to than, industrial and trade