The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-21

plants, lions and tigers, should the
shells break the enclosures and al
low them to roam through the
streets.
The Antwerp of today shows no
signs of the war. The Germans en-
tered the city October 8, 1914, and it
was on November 10, 1918, that King
Albert and the queen came back
when they left. During the four
years of their stay the Germans
levied a monthly war tax of about
s12.00O,0oO or 100000 per day.
In the Capitol of Belgium
A motor ride of less than an hour
takes us from Antwerp to Brussels,
the financial center of the country
and the seat OF the King and the
government. Brussels is not among
the largest of the capitals of Europe,
but it surpasses most in gaiety,
beauty. and art 1t is bigger than
Washington. and with it's suburbs,
equals Boston in size. 1t has many
fine parks, including the forest of
Soignes of ten thousand acres,
through which one rides on his way
to the site of the Battle of Waterloo
and the Bots de la Cambre, reached
by an avenue as wire as Common
wealth avenue in Boston and more
than a mile and a half long. This
street is lined with sumptuous man.
sions. Brussels is a city of magnifi-
cent homes, including that now oc-
cupied by Ambassador Henry p.
Fletcher as the American embassy.
The embassy building is offered to
Uncle Sam at the price of 100000.
but as our picayune congress has set
aside one half that sum for the head
quarters of our representative here,
the deal will probably fall through.
The house is we'll fitted for the pur-
pose. 1t is in the most fashionable
center and has two acres of beauti-
fuf gardens.
4 Charming City
like Brussels! The fine old build
ings of the lower town, many of
them decorated with carvings, are a
delight to the eye, and the great
Palais de Justice, in the upper, COM
pares with our capitol as one of the
finest of national structures. 1t is
much like the capitol, almost as
large, and far more ornate. Its cost
was over ten millions of dollars. II
I remember correctly, the capitol at
Washington cost thirteen millions.
/ like the statues of Brussels.
Their name is legion and they are
of all sizes from giants in marble
to a little green, bronze naked boy
about as long as my arm. known as
the Mannikin fountain. This little
fellow is one of the greatest of at
fractions to tourists, who are daily
taken in parties to see him. He is
loved by the people, who call him
the Oldest citizen of Brussels" from
the fact that he was erected In 1913.
l like the lace shops of Brusselsl
The city is the lace center of the
world, and one can buy most beau
tiful creations in linen-thread from
the size of the butterflies which the
ladies now wear on their heads. their
shoulders, or some where else on
their dresses, to the fine wedding
gowns that cost almost kings ran
som. like the store windows which
are ablaze every, evening, and not
covered with steel as in Paris at
night. 1 like the crowds on the
Rue Neuve, which fill it every aft
ernoon from side to side with sub
stantial-looking people who are
noted for their lack of snobbishness
and the general good fellowship one
finds everywhere here.
Nation of Patriots
iIhc TIE VI the DEL
giansi They are proud of their coun-
try and show this in the flag staffs
which on holidays fly the national
colors for every second story, not
only here but throughout the coun-
try. This patriotism was the one
thing the Germans could not destroy.
The Belgians were suppressed, but
they continued unconquered to the
end of the war. A notable instance
Of this occurred in 1916 on what
might be called the Belgians' Fourth
of July, which they were forbidden
to celebrate as holiday. The Ger
mans ordered business as usual and
that all the shops be kept open. This
ordinance was observed in the letter
but not in the spirit. The shops
We're open. but the windows were
empty except where cartoons or
other things ridiculing the invaders