BELGIAN CENTENARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20930, 21 July 1931, Page 6

BELGIAN CENTENARY.

; TO-DAY'S.- ANNIVEBSABY.' ; ■ : ~~~ , ! CENTURY OF INDEPENDENCE, !' . • .. .v - v ;._' . FAMOUS "SCRAP OF PAPER." ; The centenary, of the kingdom of £ e ]. gium falls to-day, and the flag will j flown from the Belgian Consulate i tt - ■! Auckland in honour of the occasion, A{. I though'actual independence was obtain*} I by Belgium following the revolution of 1830, it was on July 21, 1831, that ; a kingdom wa3 set up with full political and economic independence guaranteed by the Great Powers of Europe.

The amall kingdom, which occupies an important economic position in Enrop® and is one of the most highly industrial, ised countries in the world, has now enjoyed a century of independence,- after 17 centuries of foreign rule. One of the most striking features of this little nation' is the manner in which two separate races, the Flemings and the Walloons, in do. fiance of the accepted theory that nationality must depend on community of raca and language,.have slowly grown into unity, on the foundation of common tradi-' tion, religion and economic interest. In no other couutry has there been such.a willing' co-operation on the part of both racial members to bridge the gulf which the language difficulty extends between them. On this account therefore bi-iing. ualism is common throughout Belgium. In the momentous years prior to 1830, when the stirrings of popular revolt were being felt everywhere in Europe, tha Belgians rose to throw off the rule of tha Netherlands King, who had been estab- jj lished after the overthrow of Napoleon in 1815.' The revolution was short and decisive,* lasting only three days, after which a ■ provisional government was set up by ; the people, and the independence of Belgium was recognised by the London Conference in November, 1830. ■ > Prince Leopold of Saxe-L'oburg was elected as King, and for the first few years of. his reign there was a good deal of di.'icussion and negotiation among the major Powers before finally, in 1838, Bel. gium was recognised as an independent and perpetually neutral State, under tha guarantee of the Powers. The treaty whicli conferred this neutrality was signed by Great Britain, Prussia, Austria and 'Russia and was the famous " scrap of paper," which was a bone of contention during the early part of the Great -War. By the Treaty of Versailles, which concluded the Great. War, in 1919, tha guarantee of neutrality was withdrawn and Belgium was given full freedom in directing her foreign policy.