Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1922-01-12


prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington. D.. CO.
No country injured by the World
war set about more earnestly to
achieve reconstruction than Belgium,
the one which suffered most cruelty
and dramatically from the conflict.
Though the damage done to the coun-
try through property destroyed, pill
lage and financial exactiOns by the
Germans reached the tremendous sum
of 80 billions of francs according to
the estimate of the Belgium COmite
Central Industriel, the people, with
characteristic industry and thrift, took
up the heavy task of resuscitating their
cOuntry's industrial life as soon as the
armistlce had been signed. By the
beginning of 1920 they had made such
great strides that, with the exception
of the steel and glass industries pro-
duction averaged three-quarters or
more of pre-war production the coal
output had even reached "a per cent
and the refined sugar output 100 per
cent.
struck the United States and other
countries in 1920 affected Belgium,
too and since the spring of that year
Belgium has had it's share of depres-
sion, closed and part-time factories
and unemployment. The drought
which affected many parts of the
northern hemisphere has been felt in
n -. Inf hna
ests are less and food prices higher.
Where the price index of living costs
was 100 in 1914 it was ATT in OctO-
Der, 1920 and had reached only to
3S4 in August, 1921. But the adverse
economic forces in operation since
early in 1920 have caused suffering
even in countries not involved in the
World war; and to understand that
Belgium, in spite of present trials, is
in a fair way to Outstrip the other
war-tOrn countries in the return to
normal it is only necessary to cOnsid-
err conditions in the little kingdom be-
fore the war broke in upon 1t.
its Population Is Dense.
The Belgium of today has an area
less than One-fOurth as great as Mis-
sissippi, and yet it has four times
the population Of that state Twenty
two and half countries like Bel
gIum would be required to make a
state like Texas, and if Texas were
as densely populated as Belgium 1t
would have as many people as the
fnUnth
now possess. If the entire United
States had as many people to the
square mile as Belgiumxthat is, con-
tinental United States, exclusive of
Alaska-we would have more people
here than there are in the entire world
today. You could concentrate all the
people Of the seven seas and OF all
the continents here and still have room
for enough more to repOpulate the
continent of Europe as 1t now stands.
It must follow from this that such
vast population, living within such
narrow confines-7,5 $4,000 souls with
! in an area of 1873 square miles
must be a frugal people, accustomed
to self-denial, skilled in the art OF
economical living, and masters OF the
science of intensive industry; yet with
all this density If population, witt
all the exactiOns of forced economy
they are a people who had so ordered
their relations with one another ant
with their government that happiness
and contentment seemed to dwell will
them as with but few other peoples
and this in spite of diverse descen
and diverse tongues.
Two Distinct Peoples.
Within Belgium's small territory
smaller in area than Massachusett
and Connecticut-there are nearl,
three million Flemings who canno
Ntalk with their compatriOt Walloons
and about as many WallOons who can
not hold converse with their country
men Flemings. In their habits of min
and their methods of gaining a live
nhood the two peoples differ as widel
as the English and the French, an
in their speech they are as differen
as the Germans and the SeandinaV
ans: and vet there is a tie that ha
bound them together for generations
? with never fratricidal war in thei
modern history. That tie is the bon
Of religion, for they all subscribe
the doctrines Of the Church of Rom
with haartiness that makes them on
Of the bestowed peoples of the Hol
See.