Show BElGIUM SET B BACK CK FO R- R CENTURIES T WAR Conditions of Today Like Those of Religious Wars Warsin in Sixteenth th Century BR BRUGES Bels Nov No 21 1 Via Tho The Hague and I London 35 p. p m. m m. m.-In In some aspects civilization has been sot set ct back backI I eral several centuries by b the war Tar In Belgium Conditions In Bruges Bruse and tho surrounding surrounding- r lon aro arc so IO unsatisfactory that the tho en entire en- en tire Ure countryside seems likely to return to a a. state ies resembling the tho period of ot tho the religious vais vai's in iii the tho il c century when tho f famishing population resorted to stealing plundering and ami smuggling Such occurrences s era aro re r reported ted alon along the Dutch Butch frontier They have led Jed to sanguinary sanguinary san san- fI fights between Belgian an smugglers and German bol soldiers and und Dutch frontier guards Lawless elements clements of or the po pou ula u- u la lation Uon are arc r raiding farn farms farm killing or wound wound- lug Ins the occupants occupant and stealing alln their pos pos- se sessions The Tho Germans arc aro doing whatever er they thoy can to preserve o or order older er Marauders are pursued pursued pursued pur pur- sued relentlessly In n cities liko Antwerp prices of ot the necessaries ne of or life ha have risen ilsen really greatly The fhe German authorities lib retraining refrainIng from Uio Ula Imposition of or direct taxation de- de nand mind large sums Bums from the people through a complicated s system stem of ot stamp tamp taxes These taxes are imposed for Infraction of any anyone one of the many potty pott rules which I have ha been mado made All AU of ot the Austrian troops troop who were engaged ro to actively In the operations at Antwerp ha have havo o disappeared Prices of or essential commodities S have risen at Antwerp Ant since the beginning of ot the war nar as follows follows' Salt from 3 2 c centimes 35 5 cent a kilogram kilogram kilo kilo- gram ram 2 CO O pounds to 17 11 centimes 8 sugar ugar I rom 6 to 60 centimes p per r kilogram oil from 8 to 3 35 sous 33 cents per litre 9 10 quart cool coal from 32 2 to 4 40 franca ra 9 per loon 1000 kilograms These articles fre- fre Qu are unavailable oven even at t the higher prices |