The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-11-28


.sof restoring their country.
Politics is one example. Al
the present the government is
run by a coalition of the Socialist
comparable to the British Labor
party and the Catholics (Social
Christian parties. The latter is
made up of conservatives, with
large support from the middle
class, but it is principally Catho-
lie. BY a small margin, it is the
largest of the two.
The Communists hold some q
--of the 1853 seats in the parliament,
but are, not considered a serious
menace, because the country lis
largely Catholic, and a large per-
-lcentage of the people own their
-oWn homes, shops or farms. In
addition, there is plenty of food
and clothing-in fact, plenty of
hxuries as well. The Commun-
lists recruit their support prin-
--cipally from the poorer workmen,
and as one businessman scorn-
fully remarked, "from the unin-
telligent younger workmen, who
don't know any better"
Finally, there is Liberal par
ty, conservative group, which,
at one time, maintained consid-
cradle influence, but whose num-
bers have since been reduced.
They are still powerful, however,
more or less, as group of "elder
statesmen"
:--e The country is theoretically
ruled by a monarch, in the per-
son of the. Prince Regent, brother
szof King Leopold. There is dis
cussion as to whether the latter
will be returned to the throne
some people oppose him because
Ethey disapproved of his surrender
70 the Germans, or because the
father of his second wife has been
-convicted of collaboration with
The Germans. COT course, you
know, we couldn't have THAT.");
while others are equally determ-
lined that Leopold shall be rein
stated, declaring that he did the
.-pnly thing which could be done
lat that time, and that he, is not
Responsible for the actions of his !
.father-in-law. However, all par
ties, including the Communists,
rare pro-monarchy. And the best
guess now appears to be that the
Regent will continue to rule until
the eldest of Leopold's sons comes
of age. The Crown Prince will
then become king.
- But while sentiment toward
royalty continues strong, the Bel
--gians are particularly proud of
their postwar efforts to strength
EN- their economy. They scott at
1.-The remark you frequently hear
in France that the Belgians are
better off because they have am
-ple dollar exchange obtained, (D
from lease of the port of Antwerp
~-by the Americans during the war,
-t2) operation of Belgium as a
leave center for American troops
tand (3) operation of the Belgian
Colonies by the free" Belgian
government to produce raw mate
.Tialss fog the Allies during the
-e The Belgians will tell you that
this is jealousy, and nothing
more, that the real reason Bel
~gium today is one of the few
countries in Europe which is real
...7y on its feet, is that Belgians like
30 work, and that they have, lit
orally pulled themselves up out OF
fpossible chaos.
r. Our government" one bust.
aanessman told me, attempted to
do the same thing the British and
T1other countries have tried-use
all sorts of controls. But that
wasn't the Belgian way.
:. 1.-The Belgian businessman and
the Belgian workman buckled
down to work--in their own way
I'VE had a terrible black market
the result of the war, and it was
-sthen about the only means of dis.
-tribution we had. 1t was so well
established that it was very hard
Ito overcome. But we have prac.
ideally eliminated it in two years
49, "When the government saw
what the people had done, ano
A-could do, they gradually relaxed
-*controls. While we still have
food rationing, we also have all
1--we want to eat land all we want
( TO wear. And the government
deserves a lot of credit for that.
s. "For example, when Belgium
: was liberated, the government
Immediately began to import food
: regardless of cost, or possible re-
-4-duction in foreign exchange. They
: saw that our people, underfed
poorly clothed and very badly
--housed as result of the war, had
: TO have food, If we were to &c
back to work and restore oul
Ecountry. So they imported lots q q
1t. That not only helpedA to put
down the black market, but II