Evening star., 1944-10-29

The old Roman road from Cologne on
the Rhine to Boulogne on the English
Channel, crossing Belgium from Wise
through Napoleon's Waterloo to Dun
kirk, is the line that has always divided
Dutch-speakngSFlemings of the poppy
covered Flanders plain of the Schelde
River to the north, from French-speak-
ing Walloons along the Meuse to the
south.
More exactly, the Flemings speak
Flemish dialect of Dutch or German,
while the Walloons have their own
peculiar brand of French. Half the
population speaks Flemish, 100000
speak Walloon French; many speak
pure French, the language of state In
the easternmost Eupen- -Malmedy bulge,
German is the language.
Flemings and Walloons
The Walloons, their culture centered
in the East Belgium fortress city of
Liege, are generally imaginative and
quick-tempered in contrast with the
Flemings, slow. persistent, thorough.
Both groups were leaders in the first
colonies of New York, New Jersey. Penn
sylvania and Delaware Both have pro-
duced masters in arts and letters.
Flemish persistence is demonstrated
in the way Flemish language and cul-
ture have progressed despite adversely
Sjnpp 1S20 urho7 Poloi,lr, e IND
began. Particularly since World War 1,
the culture has been recognized and
nurtured in Brussels. Flemish spellings
have replaced French in Flanders
famous Ypres is Ieper, Bruges is Brugge,
Client is Gent, Louvain is Leuven, the
Scheldt is the Schelde, Courtrai is Kor-
trijk, and so on
Flemings and Walloons may exploit
their own differences, but outsiders may
not exploit them. Germany's propa-
gandists, seeking repeatedly to breach
the nation have found that Belgium
comes first with both Flemings and
Walloons.
Five Biggest Cities
Included in the nine provinces that
form Belgium are five large metropolitan
centerS. Brussels, centrally situated
capital, counts a million people in it's
cluster of Is communities. From Brus-
sells, trade routes lead to four centers,
one for each direction of the compass,
each with over 400 900 community pop-
ulation. These are Antwerp, north:
Liege, east; Charleroi, south; Gent, west.
Brussels, where the Flanders plain
breaks into low, rolling hills, has often
been called Europes little Paris" It's
devotion to art and fashion, it's parks,
boulevardS and quaint evidences of
earlier days convey that impression and
hide its industries-textile factories,
foundries, machine shops, sugar re-
ineries. 1t was the center of the 1880
revolt that separated Belgium from the
present territory of the Netherlands.
During the first World War the city
was the scene of the execution of Nurse
Edith Cavell. The two German in
vasions of the last quarter century
spared most of its landmarks, but de-
stroyed its industries and deported its
laborers.
The Port of Antwerp
Antwerp, so miles up the Schelde from
the sea, is Belgium's great port with
one of Europe's best harbors Cutting
diamonds, imported from the Belgian
Congo, making textiles and cigars have
been important Antwerp industries.
Liege, is Belgiums fortified arsenal on
the Meuse. The Albert Canal makes the
city virtually seaport.
Charleroi and its satellite towns are
at the heart of Belgium's coal and iron
mining region that reaches from Mons
to Liege. Iron and steel mills, railway
shops, glass and hardware factories dot
this region of underground resources.
Gent, soul of Flanders, with 200
bridges spanning its canals and island
dotted streams. stands at the junction
OF the Leie Gys) and the Schelde. Cot.
ton spinning is its big industry In
norrnel times.