BELGIUM. 



two years when the bill was amended by the 

 Senate to that effect. The prohibitory clause in 

 the bill forbids all gambling in public places where 

 stakes are generally known or arc of suliicient 

 amount to make them an object of gain. 



A clause prohibiting games of chance in private 

 as well as in public places was rejected by the 

 Senate. The question of compensating Ostend 

 and Spa, which had made public improvements 

 on the strength of revenues derived from the 

 gaming-tables, was laid over by the Senate for 

 further discussion. When the Government old-age 

 pension act went into force 175,000 old people 

 applied for the pension, which is 05 francs a year, 

 payable semiannually. A bill framed by the Gov- 

 ernment and passed by the Chambers changes the 

 principles governing accidents to workmen and 

 employers' liability. Under the old bill a work- 

 man claiming compensation had to prove negli- 

 gence on the part of the employer. The new act 

 provides that in all cases of disability extending 

 beyond two weeks the employer is bound to pay 

 half wages so long as total incapacity lasts, or, in 

 case of partial incapacity, half the difference in 

 earnings. Employers have the liberty of insuring 

 their risks in the Government savings-bank or in 

 private companies; if one does not do so he must 

 pay a certain amount into a state bank or an in- 

 surance company approved by the state to provide 

 for future compensation to workmen. The new 

 bill extends the principle of compensation, hith- 

 erto confined to accidents from machinery worked 

 by motive power, to those caused by agricultural 

 machinery when it is driven by an elemental force. 

 King Leopold having offered to give to the 

 nation the greater part of the royal domains 

 throughout Belgium, the Chamber of Representa- 

 tives voted to accept the gift, but the Senate post- 

 poned action in order to determine the status of 

 certain communes in the Ardennes. The Govern- 

 ment agreed to grant amnesty to political offend- 

 ers and persons convicted of misdemeanors con- 

 nected with strikes, not including acts of vio- 

 lence. A Socialist motion to increase the pay of 

 letter-carriers, which is only 2 to 4 francs a day, 

 was rejected. A bill was adopted granting higher 

 pensions to teachers and admitting classes previ- 

 ously excluded. The Socialists interpellated the 

 Government regarding instructions a general was 

 said to have given to the civic guards to fire on 

 the people in case of riot, and the Government's 

 position that good citizens should prepare to re- 

 sist rioting was sustained by the votes of the 

 Right alone, the Moderate Liberals abstaining. 



The question of military reform was referred to 

 a military commission, and on its report was 

 based a bill presented by the Government. The 

 commission was appointed in order to appease a 

 feeling of alarm at the inadequacy of Belgium's 

 defenses and a growing sentiment in favor of per- 

 sonal service. The Belgian Government formerly, 

 even when it did not neglect military affairs, re- 

 lied for the security of Belgium mainly on the 

 guarantee of the neutrality and inviolability of 

 Belgian territory by the adjoining powers. In 

 recent years military experts have impressed the 

 people with the idea of the instability of treaty 

 rights and with the necessity of being able to as- 

 sert and defend Belgium's neutrality. In 1870 

 France and Germany, on opening hostilities, both 

 invited Belgium to defend her frontier. Before the 

 Franco-German War Antwerp was held to be the 

 most important stronghold, the plan being in case 

 of attack to concentrate supplies there and 

 await assistance from outside. Since then strate- 

 gists have recognized the Meuse valley as the key 

 of the situation, and accordingly earthworks were 



erected at Liege and Xamur. The id<-;i of a r-en- 

 tral citadel was not abandoned, Gen. Urialmont 

 favored strengthening the inner ring of fortifica- 

 tions, which have become obsolete. The military 

 commission pronounced in favor of the scheme 

 already accepted by the Government of erecting 

 a chain of forts extending in a semicircle 25 miles 

 round the city. The demolition of the existing for- 

 tifications, constructed in 1859, was decided on, 

 giving room for the city to expand and providing 

 part of the means for defraying the cost of a new 

 inner line of forts of greatly improved type, which 

 would absorb 41,000,000 francs in addition to the 

 value of the site of the old forts. The fortification 

 of the right and left bank of the Scheldt was 

 deemed urgent, also the strengthening of the bat- 

 teries at Termonde,, but the fortress of Diest was 

 regarded as no longer necessary. The principle of 

 an effective armed neutrality was approved with- 

 out qualification; yet when it came to actual 

 army reform the Government was afraid to offend 

 the mass of the Clerical voters by abolishing sub- 

 stitution or materially enlarging the army on the 

 peace footing. The commission recommended 

 that the annual contingent of 13,300 men be in- 

 creased to 18,000, considering this to be rendered 

 necessary by the reduction of the term of active 

 service to twenty-two months for infantry and 

 six months for cavalry and artillery. Otherwise 

 the peace strength of 47,000 men could not be 

 maintained unless more volunteers could be at- 

 tracted to active service. The Government de- 

 cided to keep the annual levy of conscripts at the 

 same figure as before and to hold out inducements- 

 for volunteers to be embodied with the conscripts 

 and counted in the annual contingent. The prin- 

 ciple of personal service, though recommended by 

 the commission, was discarded. The sum to be 

 paid for a substitute was reduced from 1,600- 

 francs to 1,000 francs or less. Encouragement i 

 given to volunteering by the offer of the same pay 

 to volunteers as is given to regulars. One-year 

 volunteers up to the number of 2,000 may be en- 

 gaged without remuneration with the privilege 

 of living at home or choosing their garrison town. 

 Soldiers are not to be detailed for non-military 

 duties, but will be trained in military duties 

 throughout the shortened term of service. Prefer- 

 ence in civil employments will be given to men 

 who have served in the army in any capacity. 

 The principle on which the army w r ill be recruited 

 is voluntary enlistment, not conscription, the an- 

 nual levy in any district being fixed at the num- 

 ber required to fill out the contingent. The prin- 

 ciple of volunteering is introduced in a country 

 where conscription has been customary since the 

 army was first created, adopted altogether as an 

 experiment in direct defiance of the agitation that 

 called for army reform. The war strength of the 

 army is expected to be increased by the extension 

 of volunteering and the reduction of the period 

 of service with the colors from 145,000 to 180,000 

 men. The total period of service is eight years 

 in the active army and five years in the reserves, 

 which can only be called out in case of war. 

 Volunteers are divided into those who choose the 

 military profession, those who volunteer to draw 

 for the contingent, those who offer themselves aa 

 substitutes, and those whose condition entitles 

 them to special remuneration. All classes rank as 

 regulars in regard to term of service and pay. 



The Chambers had to decide in the session of 

 1901 the -question of anexing the Congo State. 

 Under the option of 1890, if the decision should be 

 against annexation the loan of 25,000,000 francs 

 made by Belgium to the Independent State would 

 be repayable after a further period of ten years,. 



