Evening star., 1923-01-21

"A LOW RAJ
the fear OF the elephants, lions and
tigers should the shells break the
Enclosures and allow them to roam
through the streets.
The Antwerp of today shows no
signs of the war. The Germans en-
tered the city October's, 1914, and ii
was on November 19, 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 $12,eo0, 600,
or 100000 per day.
| 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 gov
ernment. Brussels is not among the
the largest of the capitals of Europe.
| but it surpasses most in gayety,
| 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 10000 acres, through which
one rides on his way to the site of
| the battle of Waterloo and the Bois
as wide as Commonw ealth avenue in
Boston and more than a mile and
half long. This street is lined with
sumptuous mansions. Brussels is a
city OF magnificent homes, including
that now occupied by Ambassador
Henry p. Fletcher as the American
embassy. The embassy building is
offered to Uncle Sam at the price of
$500, ,0oc, but as our Congress has set
| aside only half that sum for the
headquarters of our representative
here the deal will probably fall
through. The house is well fitted for
the purpose. 1t is in the most fash
ionable center and has two acres of
beautiful gardens.
7 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 $10,o00,o0o. If I remember
correctly, the Capitol at washington
cost SIS 5000, 900.
I like the statues of Brussels.
Their name is legion and they are of
all sizes, from giants in marble to
| 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 1919.
I like the lace shops of Brussels.
The city is the lace center of the
world, and one can buy most beauti-
ful creations in hnen-thread-from
the size of the butterflies which the
ladies now wear on their heads, their
shoulders, or somewhere else on their
dresses, to the fine wedding gowns
that cost almost kings ransom. I
like the store windows, which are
ablaze every evening and not covered
with steel, as in Paris, at night. ]
like the crowds on the Rue Neuve.
which fill 1t every afternoon from
side to side with substantial-looking
people, who are noted fort their lack
of snobbishness and the general good
fellowship one finds everywhere here.
like the patriotism of the Bel
gians. They are proud of their coun-
try and show this in the fiagstaffs,
which on holidays fly the national
colors from every second story, not
only here, but throughout the coun-
%y-xr. III .fu trS4 fsSs1 he
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 1915 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 were open, but the win
dows were empty, except where car
toons or other things ridiculing the
invaders were displayed. There were
crowds on the streets, all dressed in
green, the color of hope. The men
wore green ties and fiirted green
handkerchiefs. They had knots of
green ribbon in their buttonholes and
green bands around their hats. Many
OF the women came out In green
gowns and some wore green hats and
carried green parasols.
The people came by thousands to
the cathedral, where Cardinal Mercier
preached q sermon denouncing the
Germans. and this was followed by
singing the national air to the accom-
paniment OF the great organ. The
German officials could hardly contain
themselves and they retaiiated next
day by fining Brussels 100000
marks, which at :he time represented
a value Of almost $3.50. 600. ~ s
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