VOL. II, NO. 11 N E W Y O E K, N . Y. MARCH 14, 1942 These periodical bulletins may be obtained on request addressed to the BELGIAN INFORMATION CENTER, Room 3055, 630 Fifth Ave., New York Donald Duck Gets Hurt "L6on Degrelle, leader of the Rexist move• ment, has been wounded in Russia while warding off an enemy air attack."—RADIO SAPLITZKY BERLIN, Mar. 5, 1942. It is a matter of constant amazement to Euro•Chantal. After the elections of 1938 in which peans that Americans as a rule have a decided he ran against Van Zeeland, the Rexist Party weakness for colorful characters, regardless ofdwindled like Lenten snow. It was clear by then their moral standing. Billy the Kid has always that Degrelle got his orders and funds from been much more admired in this country, for Berlin and Rome. The Fascist radio gave him instance, than Blessed Mother Cabrini. ample occasion to insult the Belgian Govern• Belgians in particular have been completely ment. He was seen and followed in Berlin. But puzzled by the amount of publicity which the all his intrigues were of little importance with antics of the Fascist agitator, Leon Degrelle, regard to the absolute unity of the Belgian have received in the United States from a people against the Nazi menace. His machina• generally well-informed press. Belgians have tions belonged to political vaudeville and not always known perfectly well that he was a tem• to international politics. However, the rest of porary phenomenon. They did not, like some Degrelle's story may have an interest and a American correspondents, picture him as a part moral for all people at war. of the general movement of totalitarian ideas When the Nazis invaded Belgium, the Bel• in Europe. They knew he lacked originality as gian authorities put Degrelle in custody and well as real guts, honesty as well as conviction.later sent him to France. He was released by They had followed him in his brief career as his friends, the Germans, for his former attitude a crooked politician and an unscrupulous dema• put him in line as the ideal "Gauleiter." But the gogue of the mud-throwing school. To the Germans, who were wooing the Belgians in the American onlooker he was a typical example of first months of the occupation, waited to see if experimental Naziism. To his disgusted country•Degrelle really "had the Belgian people behind men, he was nothing but the quacking Donald him" as he pretended. They soon found out that Duck of Belgian politics. the people the Rexists claimed as followers were Degrelle attained the height of obscene ridicu•trying to shoot them, as evidenced at Tournai lousness the day he claimed bankruptcy—having and Brussels, where Rexist Party leaders were transferred his property to his wife's name—and murdered. announced with dramatic lamentations that he So once again Degrelle became a political had even had to sell the cradle of his daughter. nonentity. When the "crusade" against Russia NEWS FEOM BELGIUM MARCH 14, 1942 began, a couple of hundred folloivers (out of a Besides, the Belgians have not forgotten what population of 8,300,000j joined the anti-Soviet Degrelle wrote after the invasion. They remem• league and solemnly departed for the eastern ber that this lackey of the Nazis repeatedly at• front. Apparently Degrelle's health had im• tacked some of his own countrymen, that he proved with the advent of war for he had never asked the German authorities to punish those done any military service in the Belgian Army, who did not approve of the New Order, inciting nor had he volunteered to defend his country the Nazis against his own people, and begging since September 1939. them to be hard and strike hard. Now comes the news that he has been Americans should not wonder at the amount wounded. It may seem cruel to make fun of a of hatred men like Degrelle provoke. They man who is down, but the Belgians have two should learn from this story how far Quislings good reasons for not taking the news too serious•can go—even in their impotence—in taking re• ly. First of all, they are used to the fact that venge on their compatriots. Every country has Degrelle has often started to war but never yet its traitors. They deserve only one kind of got there. He went to Mexico during the revo• epitaph, that trenchant French phrase: lution, where he wrote a book on the condition "Morte la bete, mort le venin." of the Church, but it is still doubtful if he ever But it is better to write their epitaph before set foot on Mexican soil. He went to Spain to they compose an epitaph for democracy and support Franco, but nobody saw him at the decency. front. And now he has gone to Russia. —THE EDITOR If we consider that Britain has a population I. Occupied Belgium of J).0 million and Belgium a population of only 8 million, these figures mean that if Belgium A. War and Its Aftermath had 1^0 million inhabitants, the increase in the number of the dead would amount to 125,000 The New YorJc Times, Berne, Mar. 8. —• Belgians as against 38,000 in Great Britain.'] Europe's death rate, excluding war dead, in• o creased between 1938 and 1940, with infant mortality rising especially sharply, the statistic• INBEL, London, Feb. 18.—All Rumanians in al year book of the League of Nations disclosed occupied Belgium who were born in 1922 have today. been summoned by the Rumanian Consulate Infant mortality in 1940 increased in Bel• General in Brussels, in order to register for mili• gium from 73 to 89 per thousand, in France tary service. —o from 63 to 91, in Italy from 96 to 104 and in Eumania from 176 to 189. INBEL, London, Mar. 4.—The Italian press The general death rate in Germany increased is canvassing for the nationalization of the from ll.C per thousand in 1938 to 12';7 in 1940; Italian branch of the Wagons-Lits and Inter• in Belgium, from 13.1 to 16.1; in Britain, from national Express Company. At present, 60% of this company's shares is in the hands of II. 8 to 13.9, and in Rumania, from 18.6 to 19.2. Belgians and French. The data, collected despite v.'ar diiliculties, showed that the world population in 1939 in• creased to 2,170,000,000. L'Independant, Woonsocket, R. I., Feb. 20. The result of the 1941 census of British India —The Belgian Administration Reconstruction showed a population of 389,000,000, which far Commission has published the official listing exceeded estimates. Japan's population, like• of the destruction caused by the war. One fifth wise rose more than expected to 73,000,000. of the cities and villages is untouched; 9,832 [In an editorial published on March 10, The houses have been completely demolished; 24,156 New York Times, commenting on those statis• badly damaged; 16,710 slightly damaged; 352 tics, figures out that in Belgium 25,000 and in factories, 6,000 miles of roads, 100 railroad England 38,000 civilians who would not have stations and warehouses, 1,455 bridges and tun• died if there had been no ivar actually did die nels destroyed. Reconstruction will cost 13 in IHO. billion Belgian francs. [82} NEWS FROM BELGIUM MARCH 14, 1942 The main damage is concentrated in a terri• tory reaching from the Meuse to the Lys. Brus• The Occupation sels, Antwerp, Liege and Ghent are practically Administration untouched. However, the cities of Tournai, Louvain, Echo de la Bourse [Nazi-controlled], Brus• Nivelles and Ostend were badly bombed. In sels, Jan. 22.—Two decrees have been issued, Tournai, for instance, almost all the historical concerning an extension of workmen's compen• landmarks were destroyed, the cathedral giitted sation to cover injuries due to acts of war. by fire, and three other churches, as well as [These decrees tend to show that the Nazis are 1,200 houses destroyed. Ostend is in ruins. placing Belgian workers wherever there is a Thirty thousand workers are now being em• danger of British air raids.] ployed on its reconstruction. Radio Bruxelles [Nazi-controlled radio sta• Radio Bruxelles [Nazi-controlled radio sta• tion], Brussels, Feb. 15.—The Belgian Red tion], Brussels, Jan. 10.—An edict just issued Cross at Lisbon has just made arrangements to has created a Department of ]\Ietropolitan Ad• send 1,200,000 cans of sardines to Belgian ministration. This department will be in charge prisoners in Germany. The shipment will con• of the administrative unification of Antwerp, sist of 2G0 tons of goods, including 12,466 boxes Brussels, Ghent, Charleroi and Liege. of sardines, which will be parceled out in Geneva and sent to the several camps. Hamhurqer Fremdenhlatt, Hamburg, Feb. At the same time, an announcement was made 14.—The Nazi program of "rejuvenating" the by the Belgian Red Cross that, as of January administration of Belgium by requiring all men 31, 1942, 2,400,000 parcels had been sent to over GO to resign and by sponsoring the appoint• war prisoners in Germany. At present, approxi• ment of younger men has produced the best re• mately 200,000 parcels monthly are being sent. sults in the province of Antwerp. In the Wal• 0 loon districts, the process is slower, Brussels Le Pays Beel \Nazi-controlled], Brussels, has not even got a new mayor, and the gigantic Jan. 14.—This newspaper has just interviewed organizational problems there have not yet been a Belgian conple, returning from France.