Belgian Elections The success of " Rex," a Catholic and
Fascist party, in the Belgian. elections has surprised everyone: At the last election the party did not exist ; now it has won twenty-one seats, though most people thought it would not win any. Its propaganda has been based chiefly on representing the Government as an instrument of unprinci- pled financiers and on exposing with some success financial scandals. " Rex " is now as large as the Liberal party, and its gains are reflected in the losses of the Catholic party, from which it split off. But the bloc of Socialists, Catholics and Liberals which supports M. van Zeeland's National Government still has an overwhelming majority : M. Leon Degrelle, the demagogic and authoritarian leader of "Rex," Intends to try to force another dis- solution- by using wrecking tactics in the new Chamber. One other -result is worth noticing : in Eupen-Malmedy between one-half and two-thirds of the inhabitants, acting on the instructions of the Nazis, spoilt their voting cards or returned blanks. The Government may seem to have been poorly rewarded for the rapid and consider- • able rise in prosperity which has followed M. van Zeeland's successful devaluation of the belga : but the electorate has increased since the last election and it may have been the new voters who were attracted by the demagogy of M. Degrelle. * *
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