In Flanders Fields...

The students of north Belgium's University of Ghent (enrollment 2,500) had no sooner heard the last words of the announcement than they began grumbling ominously. Their mild-mannered Rector Norbert Goormaghtigh was going to resign, and it was all because the Minister of Education in Brussels had appointed a local doctor named Joseph Van de Velde to the vacant chair of clinical surgery. The rector did not want him, nor did his. students. "Van de Velde can't even speak Flemish," was the students' cry. "This is Walloon interference again."

At Ghent, such matters are crucial. Ever since 1830, when Belgium achieved its independence, Ghent Flemings have been sturdily defending themselves against the cultural influence of the French-speaking Walloons of south Belgium. In 1930 Ghent won a major victory: the Belgian govern" ment ruled that Flemish should be the official language of the university. Last week, with "I'affaire Van de Velde," the old dispute flared up again.

On the night of the announcement, student leaders called a meeting, drafted and signed a strike order. Next day they telephoned professors, warned them to be ready for empty classrooms. Then, armed with trumpets, bugles, drums and any such pieces of metal as they could bang, they assembled at Nederkouter Place. With their black and yellow Flemish flag unfurled in the wind, they began their march, roaring, "We fight for Flanders!"

They paraded past the Agricultural School, crying to those inside, "Drop everything. No more classes." They broke into the Commercial School for Girls. They invaded the ancient Castle of the Counts of Flanders and swarmed around its towers. Then they decided to move on Van de Velde's house itself, crying "Down with Van de Velde. We want Flemish professors. Resign! Resign!" At first they found themselves screaming at the wrong Dr. Van de Velde, a Ghent medical faculty man with the first name of Jean. But that did not embarrass them. Cried one striker: "What's the difference? This one can't talk Flemish properly either." Nothing, they decided, would stop them: the strike would go on and on, even to June if necessary, when everyone would cut the final examinations.

The strike did indeed go on for several days. Then Rector Goormaghtigh had another meeting with the Minister of Education. In the face of such fury, the minister backed down, urged the rector to stay on, promised to let him choose his own professor of clinical surgery. At week's end, loyal Flemings had agreed to troop back to class.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.