Show belgium opens new canal caa al As aid to economic life albert Waterway Conn connects erts i port of antwerp and industrial liege washington the albert c canal anal magnificent manufactured waterway connecting the ahe port of antwerp with the industrial city of liege has been completed to celebrate this event king leopold recently opened an international exhibition hibi tion at liege often called the birmingham of the low countries the canal which was 10 years under construction will ili stimulate t the he economic life of belgium says the national geographic society it will extend industrialization in the flemish countryside and will make liege one of the most important inland ports of europe liege Is cald city liege with a population of over Is the center of belgian coal mining and armament industries many other plants producing iron glass automobiles and bicycles cast their smoky pall over the city the first locomotive used on the continent of europe was built in a suburb of liege capital of a province of f the same name liege is the chiel chief city of the walloon country the french speak ing southern section of belgium E even 1 en with its hurly burly of factories to r les and business houses it still b bears ears the picturesque imprint of the middle ages it is a curious combination of historic charm and progressive industrialism the town is old having been founded about abou t the ml middle d die of the sixth century it is on the maas river an international stream which traverses a large part of northeastern france as the meuse and finally comes to an end in the netherlands after picking up a considerable share of the waters of the rhine for years the city was ruled by a long line of prince bishops hops who lived regally and maintained large armies more than once the walloon people surrounding liege rebelled against their rulers the city has been laid waste many times charles the bold last of the dukes made it the scene of a bloody massacre described in scotts quentin durward heroic defenders about the middle of the seventeenth century the liegeois built a citadel for defense before the city became a part of united belgium in 1830 it belonged successively to austria prance france and the nether lands during the world war its defenders held ort off the german forces for more than a week to the stout resistance ofIL of liege lege paris owes much of her safety from capture during the first months of the war the french government recognized the cites valor with the cross of the legion of honor in the middle ages liege was a great cultural center this tradition of culture Is still in a evidence home of a royal conservatory of art it fosters interest in contemporary art by annual exhibitions and protects carefully its art treasures of the past liege is the birthplace of cesar franck famous composer and organist and of eugene ysaye the great belgian violinist who taught in its conservatory of music in this strange mixture of the smoke of industry and the dust of antiquity lamp posts decorated with baskets of flowering plants flaunt patches of brilliant color in the 11 au summer m mer |