Under the Peace Treaty Germany was bound in advance to conform to any changes in the original treaty of 1839 which the Allies might decide to make. The borders of Belgium were to be en larged by recognition of her sovereignty over contested Moresnet, over part of Prussian Moresnet, and the circles of Eupen and Malmedy on the Prussian frontier. Germany was required to give a ten-year option for the delivery of 8, 000,000 tons of coal annually to pay all debts incurred by the country to her allies up to Nov. 11, 1918, and to restore her art treasures. A decision of the Peace Conference June 24, 1919, allotted to Belgium the first payment from the German indemnities amounting to $500, 000,000. Her condition at the signing of the armistice was almost unspeakable. Unquestionably no conquered country in the whole history of modern warfare had so suffered at the hands of a foe. All of her important cities, with the sole ex ception of Antwerp and Brussels, had been devastated, and the whole country, despite German promises and protesta tions, had been systematically harried, exploited, and ruined. An idea of the ex tortions of the Germans may be gained from the fact that the monstrous initial war tax of 40,000,000 francs imposed on the hopelessly paralyzed nation in 1915 was gradually raised to 60,000,000 and an attempt was made to increase it to 75,000,000 in 1918. Special taxes of 50,
000,000 francs on Antwerp, 20,000,000 on Liege, 2,000,000 on Tournai were im posed. The country was bled, starved, destroyed, and but for the heroic work of the American Relief Commission would have become utterly disintegrated by the close of the war.
For months after the signing of the armistice there seemed little prospect of a normal return to common trade con ditions. Of her sea-going ports only one —Antwerp—was not ruinously damaged. By the end of the year a few articles of the foremost necessity began to come in. The losses to the railway system alone during the four years of war were $275, 000,000. There is little doubt in sum ming up the whole record that Ger many regarded the stubborn resistance of the heroic little Belgian army at the outset as the reason for her failure to reach the French capital, and that the severity of her treatment of the prostrate country was the result of rage and re sentment. See WORLD WAR.
Elections were held in December, 1919. As a result the new Chamber was con stituted as follows: Catholic, 77; So cialists, 67; Liberals, 33; Flemish "Acti vists," 3; Middle Class Representatives, 2; Representatives of Combatants, 3; Nationalist Party, 1. The Socialists gained 27 seats, while the Catholics lost 24, and the Liberals lost 12.
The Olympic games were held in Ant werp in August, 1920.