POLITICAL EVOLUTION IN BELGIUM

...We must not forget t h a t some of t h e C h r i s t i a n Democratic deputies were elected on their promise to work, like the Socialists, for a service term of six months...

...Its ehief supporters outside of Minnesota a r e Farmer Labor parties of North a n d South Dakota and similar p a r t i e s i n a ( aw other States that exist mainly on paper...

...P a u l . On t h e other hand, the Cleveland convention of J u l y 4 can f o u n d a n a t i o n a l movement even without t h e northwest...

...Only members of t h e Y. P . S. L. will be admittei and t h e number is limited to t h i r t y . Application must St made in w r i t i n g to tbe Rand School, 7 East 16th S t r e e t , New •ark City, and those who apply earliest will have the best chance af getting m. Camp Tamimei.t announces an especlilly rich program of social recreation snd s p o r t s for the coming lessen...

...Hut even among these forty deputies of Democratic tendencies, t h e r e a re two kinds—alongside of those who long ago toned down their reformist activities and lined up with t h e Conservatives, t h e r e are t h o s e who^iave been forced upon the Catholic ticket by t h e influence of groups of workingmen and there are also about twenty who have been elected on independent tickets in Antwerp, Flanders and Brussels, even fighting squarely against the traditional Catholic tickets even where t h e y had t a k e n in some elements more or less democratic...

...The general opinion is t h a t it Will have a hard, and perhaps short, life...

...No i m p o r t a nt reform saw the light of day and above all i t s aw itself facing a grave political problem—the Flemishjzing of t h e University of Ghent, where Instruction had been in F r e n c h for a century...

...The internal program will doubtless be very vague and above all be intended to effect financial rehabilitation...

...The New T h r u m s Ministry This was t h e occasion t h a t produced the revolt of a l l t h e preceding f e s t e r i n g elements...

...THE LABOR PARTY PUZZLE By Jasaes Ommfi While the d r i f t toward • national Labor party continues, t h e r e a te a l i o certain phaaee that produce general uncertainty regarding t he outcome...

...Events have acted like a blow with a whip...

...There came to be 300,000 o u t of work among the 800,000 members of t h e t r a d e unions...

...and immediately afterwards the Catholic Minister of Labor offered a plan along t h e same lines, although somewhat more moderate...

...There waa even some hesitation in t h e Socialist r a n k s , explainable by t h e memories of t h e w a r and t h e bankruptcy of Germany trying to dodge reparations...

...Once caught in t h e policy of force, t h e Cabinet was led, in connection with the discussion of t h e military reform, to propose t h e prolongation of the t e rm of a r m y service by four months during the occupation of t he Ruhr...

...The Minnesota FajpncrLabor p a r t y has a c q u i r e d g r e a t prestige because of i t* victories and is leading one section of t h e forces f s v o r i n g such a party...

...The g r e a t industrisl East is essential to a national Labor p a r t y and i t will n o t g o with a northwest linked u p w i t h Communists...

...While largely true, t h e above is an o v e r s t a t e m e n t The Communists do not control t h e arrangements...

...But these hopes did not m a t e r i a l i s e a nd besides, through a special article, France tried to t ie Belgium's political economy up with that of France against Germany...

...The lighting s p i r i t of the troops is magnificent...

...This conflict between tha northwest movement and t h a national movement will have t o bo solved...

...MBit of the young...

...The Christian Democrats a r e bound to move toward a clearer stand imposed upon them by t h e i r voters...

...I t h a s i t s supporte r s North snd South, E a s t a n d West, s n d especially in t h e E a s t The East is t h e powerful industrial section of t h e U n i t e d Statse...

...The northwest does not have them and cannot g e t them alone, so i ts prospects a re impossible...

...Some of t he members of t h e majority had to vote for this reactionary project against their convictions...

...Three Rand gdssol instructors will be present, 0U) or another of whom win open sack session with a twenty minute talk, but beyond t h a t they are to participate in discussion on t h * seme htsit as the student members...

...A compromise agreement which passed the Chamber waa r e jected by t h e S e n a t e ; t h e Government resigned—and reconstructed itself after having agreed upon a compromise formula...

...The Board of Directors of t he t*ap has made a n exceptionally low rat* and besides this a scholarship (and has been contributed by several friends, with the result that tits Yipsels who a t t e n d will not ssr* to pay more than $17.50 a nd perhaps less, for t h e i r week's vacaBea including tuition, with plenty of time and o p p o r t u n i t y for bathlag, boating, tennis, and -other outesor sports an well a s f o r t h e conference sessions...

...They share control with t h e other elements that have called t h e convention, including t h e committee of 48...

...In fact, M. Theunis came into office with t h e r e p u t a t i o n of being the "competent financier" capable of r e - e s t a b l i s h i ng the equilibrium of public finances and of making Germany p a y up...

...Political Evolution in Belgium By Joseph Wauters Th* following return* of th* political titration <* Belgium wa* written following th* March Ctbintt eriti* which kept the political prophet* /netting for a while and retailed in Georgee 'Thtunit again trying hit hand at running the Government with a Clerical-Liberal coalition Joteph Wauter* it director of Le Ptuple, the leading Belgian Sociaiut daily, former Minuter of Labor, and one of th* belt informed leader* of th* Belgian Socialist...

...Then came ths occupation of the Ruhr...

...The personnel has been changed a little...

...It w a s above all t ho influence of capitalism and of t h e Liberals, combined with t h a t of t h e Conservative Catholics, t h a t worked out this way...

...Cast in fsvor of t he Cleveland movement as this force will be, i t will also give a national c h a r a c t e r to a Labor party if organised in Cleveland, and what r e mains of a puzzle will have to be solved by t h e northwest, f o r i t will be at a disadvantage with its r e gional movement...

...This lesves t h e Minnesota organization a regional movement with a sprinkling of a f ew E a s t e r n local unions and Communist cremation societies, gymnastic clubs a n d other organisations which t h e y a r e adept in forming...

...finances were not fayed...

...This element can a d d n o s t r e n g t h to t he northwest and i t is capable of as much harm as i t has been In t h e E a s t This is t h e L a b o r p a r t y puzzle of 1924...

...Sabotaging Sofia list Conqueata In spite of this, the first Theunia Cabinet took office affirming it* des i r e to follow a democratic policy, it even said that it would continue the policy of the Cabinet in which t h e Socialists had exercised such a •powerful influence...

...they are eager for a g r e a t electoral b a t t l e as toon as possible...

...t h e Theunis Cabinet lined up with Poineare...

...the cost of living rose...

...The Socialists formed a bloc...

...A b ig Catholic newspaper says that he had first reached wn~ a g r e e m e a * ' with t he Christian Democrats, but t h e Sociali s t P a r t y a n d t h e unions made such s campaign t h a t , having got in touch with ' the Christian trade unions, some deputies supporting t h e Government voted with t h e Socialists against the two plans...

...The b a t t l e of t h e p a r t i es was fought over this question...

...The Mini s t r y ' s plan, the' more moderate, was beaten in Parliament by a vote of 90 to 66...

...Algernon Lee, Director of the Rand gehooi, in outlining the plan, expressed the opinion t h a t this method of study is destined largely to displace the lecture method in t h e field ti workers' education...

...In t h e Cabinet there was n o agreement between those who wished t o VIeftishixe the whole University and those who wished t o preserve at Ghent, alongside instruction given in Flemish, instruction given In French...

...There is g r e a t confusion in all parties...

...This battle left much bitterness in t h e h e a r ts of the workers and was t h e beginning of a proletarian revival...

...it succeeded in having the t e rm of normal service lengthened from ten to twelve m o n t h s . J o which a r e added two months while The Ruhr adventure continues...

...YIPSEL WEEK AT TAMIMENT frit U to Juno 21 will be t h e muml weak a t Casap Tasaiment thia J l 7 acoordmg to plana juat anBL(d by t h * Rand School, It ia B S d to g e t a aolect groap of SEftj or t h i r t y Y. P . 8. L memEj frost various p a r t * of t h e East Ie S O D S together and apend seven Zaa p a r t ly in outdoor fun, p a r t l y in t-jjQjjv* study of social' problems, erftk ipeeiai referanca to t h e stand...

...Many persons think that within a few months we may have t h e general electiona due in the regular course of events in May, 1925, but the Socialists a r e t h e only ones who a r e wishing for this and working for It enthusiastically...

...The r a i l r o a d organisations and t h e b i g Jewish trades unions will not...

...the Cabinet was overthrown by fifteen votes of t he Democratic majority...

...These elements support with bad g r a c e the entente concluded by t h e k chiefs with the Catholics in o r d e r ' t o cons t i t u t e t h e Government in which they a r e in the" minority...

...The unions a r e r e c r u i t i n g large numbers of new members...

...This fresh wound inflicted upon t h e aspirations of the Christian workers, t h e accentuation of t h e high cost of living, t h e f a c t that everybody was becoming aware of t h e mist a k e made in going into t h e Ruhr, created a state of mind more and more hostile to t h e Theunis Cabinet, which was supposed to aave everything and which, in fact, merely played reactionary politics...

...The money ia to be sent through III Amalgamated Bank to t h e German Children's Relief Fund of t he Social Democratic party, 3 Linden itrasse, Berlin...

...But the Minnesota organisation r e p r e s e n t s a regional, not a national movement...

...And nevertheless, on t h e morrow after the vote which, (nobody failed to see t h i s) had condemned the g r e a t e r p a r t of the actions of M. Theunis in military m a t t e r s , in domestic policy and in t h e field of social welfare t h i s same H. Theunis was charged with recons t r u c t i n g the Government...

...It is in this political constellation, very complicated and always thxeateiMHL that the Governmental crista exist* in a sort of endemic state...

...The Socialist* had lef t t he Government, after having succeeded in forcing through a goodly p a r t of t h e immediate program of t h e working class...

...In f a c t it didn't do anything openly a g a i n s t t h e r e forms that had been won...

...And besides we w e r e y e t in the midst of an industrial crisis...

...The public looks for Socialist victories in t h e n e a r future...

...Little by little, the reactionary character of the new Government became accentuated...

...i t limited itself to, and counted upon, nibbling at them and sabotaging t h em in a n administrative way, most frequently under the pretext of c a r r y i n g out imperative economies...

...The only other element back of i t is t h e Communists...

...The foreign policy will doubtless be put in accord with t h a t of England...

...Paul convention t o b e held J u n e 17...

...Finally, the former Liberal Mfnister of National Defense, responsible for the 14 month service term, dared to offer a plan to revise the eight-hour law, in the restrictive sense, in reality he wished to r e t u r n to t h e normal working day of nine hours...

...Belgium expected t o see France give* a more generous share t o Belgian commerce and industry...

...The unions were subjected - to counter-attacks and, paralleling the political g i v i n g w a y by the party, t h e r e came a Blackening in t h e activities of t h e unions, whose effective membership dropped from 780,000 to 600,000...

...furthermore, nationalism waa apparently triumphant among the public...

...and Belgium had i t s second Theunis Cabinet, composed almost like t h e first, b u t supported by group* whose dtsmociatic element* had boon t r e a t e d roughly...

...ffbat is planned ie n o t a course e | lectures, but a Conference with I , , 0 r twelve two-hour cessions in 0* sours* of t h e week...

...t h e Slate employes became uneasy andJtJSe demands of t h e railroad personnel collided with a "non-posmussus" of t h e Government, resulting In a s t r i k e , admirably conducted, but which was opposed by all p a r t i es except the Socialists...

...At t h is time came the discussion of t he Franco-Belgian economic t r e a t y . Always difficult to effect, a commercial t r e a t y between protectionist France and free-trade Belgium was* a n e s pecially delicate matter after the war...

...Next Tuesday the reconstructed Theunis Cabinet, the t h i rd of t h at name in two a n d a half years, will present itself t o Parliament...

...This movement h a s been lsunched under most unfortunste auspices," rsads an editorial in Labor...

...insurance a g a i n s t , unemployment, free pensions, t h e eighthour day, well endowed children*' funds, equally balanced wage commissions, the well subsidised organisation of child welfare work and of the medical and pharmaceutical service for t he workers' cooperatives, reduction of military service t o t en months, t t c . The worried capitalist i n t e r e s t s , aided by t h e blindness of the middle classes, had sounded t he charge against the Socialists, who re-entered Parliament with a loss of two seats...

...On the other hand, the Socialist P a r t y vote is nearly 1,000,000 in t h e nation...

...t h e Christian Democrats, although not at all enthusiastic about it, kept quiet...

...We must not forget, finally, to point out t h a t , all t h e p a r t i e s being divided over t h e language question, Che Flamigant elements in t h e Catholic party generally identify themselves with t h e most active democ r a t i c elements...

...Socialists protested...

...the franc t h a t waa worth eight cent* two years ago gradually dropped to four cents...

...The b i g a d v a n t a g e lias with the Cleveland convention because i t s forces a r e n o t confined to a special region...

...Fifteen tennis courts will be ia splendid working shape, twentyfive new sleeping cabins have been added to accommodate more comfortably the camp's growing host of guests, and a new swimming pool will be ready...

...More t h a n 200 railroad men were discharged, Including many who had distinguished themselves in t h e war...

...Only the Socialist Party presents a solid front...

...The Theunii Caeiaet The t i n t Cabinet of sL TbewtU, formed after the election* of N o vember, 1921, we* s u p p o r t e d by t oe Catholics and t h e Liberals and i t corresponded pretty well t o t h e expression of public opinion a t that time...

...Alongside t he f o r t y deputies of the nobility and of the big conservative bourgeoisie t h e r e is a group of forty deuities owing their mandates to t h e laboring and democratic classes, petit bourgeois, small farmers, office employes and workers still held in t h e r a n k s of the Catholic party by t h e i r faith...

...At Uft t h e Government crisis has been temporarily conjured away...

...The Belgian Chamber is composed of 186 deputies, of whom sixty-eight a r e Socialists, t h i r t y - t h r e e Liberals, eighty Catholics and five ex-Soldiers, four of whom were elected by t h e Flamigant (extremely pro-Flemish) Fronty party...

...No doubt they will be a l i t t le more careful on t h e field of social legislation, but from now on t h e Democ r a t i c Christian Flemings a r e aulky over the third Theunis Ministry...

...Both should be t o g e t h e r t o organise a national movement and they would be t o g e t h e r if t h e northwest had not agreed t o c o o p e r a t e with a n element t h a t has a record of wrecking for n e a r l y five years...

...In the northwest the Farmer-Labor p a r t i e s do not u n d e r s t a n d t h e wide destruction which the Communists hsve caused in t h e E a s t , especially in t h e powerful trades unions, a nd t h a t there Is n o hope of getting these unions t o c o o p e r a t e with t he northwest if t h e Communists have anything to do w i t h it...

...A small but very active band of Communists ia i n control of the a r r a n g e m e n t s , a n d , of course, t h a t mesns that tha recognized Labor movement will have nothing to do with the affair...

...Neither will t he many anti-Communist local unions favoring an independent Labor p a r t y . Labor, t h e Washington organ Of the railroad brotherhoods, has dofinitely announced Its opposition to the St...

...Many old friends will be back in ths family bungalow colony a t San dyvllle and sunong the new ones will be David Pinski, the celebrated Jewish writer and l e c t u r e r . Among announced lecturers <:re Hcyoune, Willy Pogany, Scott Margaret Daniels, Harry tment Wood, A. A. Golden, fn.l Herman Epatein...

...Catholic Influence Among the Catholic*, outside t he very strong- religious ties, t h e r e is a constantly increasing lack of cohesion among the i n t e r e s t s and aspirations they l-epresent...

...Occupation of tst* Ruhr Rut the financial difficulties continued, th* audacity of t h e bosses l a - creased, very active reactionary campaigns were c a r r i e d on a g a i a a t t he labor reforms, a a d t h e Government quite n a t u r a l l y yielded t o them...

...This will be p i , the suspices of the Rand Itseol with the cooperation of t h e y. p. S. L. organisation...

...But, although the Socialists form a solid block, t h e Liberals, who have become more and more the supporters of capitalism, still have some elements in t h e i r ranks which have preserved radical and anti-Clerical tendencies...

...The new Theunis Ministry c a n only be transitoryt Belgium is again marching toward a Government of Democracy, of international peace and of social progress...

...Nevertheless, there is little doubt t h a t thia editorial represents t h e opinion of t h e g r e a t mass of r a i l r o a d anions and other trades unions of t h e c o u n t r y , especially in t h e East, where Communists have carried on i n t r i g u e s and disruption f o r nearly five y e a r s . The f a r m er organisations of t h e n o r t h w e s t a re sincere in t h e i r desire t o cooperate with all other organizations, but t h e y have no i d e a of t h a experience of organizations in t h e E a s t with an element with which they a re allied...

...With the occupation of t h e Ruhr t h e country's economic condition became worse...

...One thing is s u r e , t h e northwest cannot of itself found a national, movement, no m a t t e r what action It takes in St...

...Only the...

...there has been a g r e a t deal of bargaining and dealing in order t o balance the Flemish and Walloon, t h e Liberal and Clerical influences...

...RAND STUDENTS GIVE TO GERMAN CHILDREN be Bertrand Russell lecturer a t •lid School Saturday, May 3 , a lion was t a k en for t h e relief of children, amounting to $206...

...East of t h e Mississippi river will be found t h e great bulk of t h e organised workers of t h e n a t i o n . Unless we have t h e willing support of a big p a r t of these organised workers no Labor p a r t y is poesible...

...In financial m a t t e r s it had no e n e r g e t i c vision and confined itself to economies, oft e n of a sordid sort...

...Defeat or t h e Ministry Then came more open a t t a c k s upon the Labor reforms...