Evening journal., 1923-02-09
Antwerp-R0neer
in Capitalism

I'm 1903 the first foreign factory
was founded by the Portuguese.
Others followed. and in a little over
fifty years the town had a popula-
tion Of more than 100000. and was
one of the most prosp COM
mcrcial ccnters in the world, with
a hundred vessels borne i'm on every
tide. 1t soon snatched the mantle
of old Venice as tho worlds bank
ing center. while its daily quota Of
ships reached 500.
Europe. north OF the Mediterran-
can countries. had never before
possessed a city so prosperous and
splendid as Antwerp. In the-city
merchant princes made their mill
lions of forms; thousands Of hand
some dwellings, were built; churches
and public buildings were erected;
and soma of the worlds most not
able works of art were wrought.
The ca thedral. with a great tower
rising over 400 feet, is an example
of the best Gothic architecture.
zone significant feature Of Ant
werp's rapid development in the six
tecnth century was tho fact that
commercial liberalism, individuallsm
and capitalism were somewhat
more emphasized than in cities that
had grown up before. The gid
system was dying. Old Antwerp
can be looked upon therefore. as
kinsman 10 the built cities
of our own day and our own econo-
mic system. Foreign merchants,
because Of liberal laws and customs
found little interference with their
comings and goings and their va
rious enterprises.
commercial liberalism led to re-
uEious liberalism. Then came the
Spanish conquest and Antwerp's
power was soon shOrn. Religious
strife led to the separation Of Hol-
land from Belgium The former re-
tanned control Of the mouth OF the
scheldt. Antwerp's channel and * pt
the once powerful city from free ac-
cess to the sea for two centuries.
During this period of political and
economic reverses Antwerp went
into eclipse. while Amsterdam grew
at its expense.
Antwerp took its first step to-
ward recovery when Napoleon gain
Ing possession of it, planned 10 build
it up and make it "a pistol directed
al the heart Of England He ac-
complshed little. but Antwerp ad-
yanccd slowly under the Dutch af-
ter Waterloo In 1880 came the
revolution which created Belgium
and again Autwerp's situation inn
proved. But the Dutch stin con
,rolled the mouth of the Scheldt
and charged a toll on ships TO Ant
werp which operated like diff
fcrentiar In favor of their own ports.
This economic barrier alone. the
Eelgians felt, was holding Antwerp
back from reaching its old estate.
Finally in a transaction that de-
serves to rank with the purchase of
the right-of-way for the Suez Canal
or our own Panama Canal, the Bel
gians in 1868 bought free right-of-
way through the Scheldt for So
100000 francs. From that time
Antwerp forged ahead until just be-
fore the World War it was the
greatest port of continental Europe
except only Hamburg. Since the
Armistice it has probably reached
FIRST place on the continent. while
surpassed in the world only by New
York, London and Liverpool
Before the World War Antwerp
was one of the most heavily forti-
fed cities in Europe and was con-
s.dered impreEnahle. The Belgian
Government and army retired there
to make resistance. and 10 became
one Of the first cities on which Yep
pohns rained bombs Though the
city was later bomharded by Ger
man siege guns and the defend ers
driven out, arrangements made
through the American minister pre-
vented the destruction of the city's
cathedral and other irreplaceable
monuments.
In speaking Of Antwerp We
take the old Flemish name Tho
Beleians are intercs cd in pushing
TO world leadership the same city
Nv quit different name. Tho
American first abroad who has tax
en- the English equivalents in his
textbooks too seriously is likely to
wake with a start when he finds
himself not in Antwerp but in An
vera.'"