WE VISIT BELGUM- TOURING THE WORLD

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 76, 30 March 1935, Page 2 (Supplement)

WE VISIT BELGUM- TOURING THE WORLD

IN former times it was the custom for men to ~ train gamecocks to light with armoured spurs, and to gather in crowds to watch and bet upon the results of this cruel sport. After a series of battles between these birds, the "cockpit" where they fought would be drenched in blood. And that is why little Belgmm has been called "the cockpit oi Europe." French, Dutch, Spanish, Germans, British have in turn fought upon her soil, while some of the most decisive battles of history have been decided there. During the Great War of 1914-18 almost the whole country was swept by the tide of German invasion, which later was rolled slowly and stubbornly back again.

In sleepy old Bruges, the subject of our last article, there is little to remind us of this terrible bloodshed. Yet even here, in this town of old-world peace, we cannot escape it. On one of the canals we may still see the strongly protected enclosure which was used as a base for German U-boats. And not far from this is a garden whose walls bear the marks of clusters of bullets —the place where military prisoners were executed. Among them was Captain Charles Fryatt, the brave captain of a British merchant ship.

Yesterday and y .<. . Driving out from Bruges, we travel but a short distance before coming - to more striking evidences of the world war. At first the country . impresses us with its age. Here and there a turreted mansion of stone stands among stately trees; while on every hand we see typical Flemish farms, with unkempt looking buildings surrounding a slimy "midden," and long-legged pigs foraging among the refuse. Then suddenly, one comes to a town of new buildings, and one realises that this has been rebuilt since the war. Near this town of Staden is the forest of Houtliulst, where even the trees are new; for the old trees were torn to pieces by the long storm of shell-fire. Some 13,000 Belgians died in this little corner. Two thousand of them are buried in the white cemetery. The bodies of the others were taken to their homes. And so we come to what was known as the "Hindenburg Line," where we may still see stout concrete "pillboxes" along the skyline. Frequently the thrifty Belgian peasant uses one of these as a tool shed! The ground sweeps up to the rise of Hill 60, where trenches and mine craters are left as they were, to show the generations of to-day something of what war was like. From here we drive on past Hell-fire Corner to the town of Ypres, which

we enter through the beautiful Merlin Gate. On this fine memorial are engraved the names of the soldiers of the British forces who were posted as "missing." During the dark days of 1914-18, Ypres was practically levelled to the ground. But now it has risen again from its ruins. The beautiful Cathedral •stands again on its old site, while the Clotli Hall, one of the most beautiful buildings of olden Europe, is slowly but surely tising in very much its old form. As much as possible of the oltl stone is being used, so that these buildings will not havo too great an air of newness.

On we go through the rest of "New Country," with hero a pile of old scraps of iron and twisted steel, and there the orderly whiteness of a cemetery. In tlic cemctery of "Essex. Farm" is tlio grave of the youngest British soldier to give his life—a laddie of lo years.

And perhaps here a word might not go amiss about the history of Belgium. This really dates from IS3O-31, when the Southern Netherlands parted from Holland and became an independent kingdom. The London Congress assembled and, after mature deliberation, recognised the severance of the two kingdoms. When the Belgian Congress met it appointed Baron Surlet de Chopier provincial Regent, but later it elected Prince Leopold as King of the Belgians. In 1838 it seemed as if Holland and Belgium were likely to engage in war once more. Belgium was under obligation to give up Limburg and a part of Luxemburg. This it now refused to do, but gave way under pressure of the five great* Powers.

On the death of Leopold I. in 18C5 liis son had succeeded as Leopold 11. In 1870, on the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War the Belgians, fearing risks both from Prussia and from France, mobilised their army, but in a special treaty arranged by Britain, both belligerents recognised anew the neutrality of Belgium. When Leopold 11. died in 1909 he was succeeded by his nephew Albert, who ruled wisely and was loved by his subjects up until his tragic death last year, when he was succeeded by his son Leopold 111. The cobbled roads jolt our wheels as we speed along, but at length, as we approach Bruges once more, we gratefully enter upon a long, straight stretch of concrete; and our driver settles back with relief. "Good road," he remarks feelingly; "made by English engineers." So some good has come out of the war, after all.