Ieper, 1 May 1998

Raoul d'Udekem d'Acoz is a very nice man. He lives at Hill 62. Somebody who lives 62 meters above sea level, at Hill 62, between war cemeteries, must have an opinion about war tourism. Raoul d'Udekem d'Acoz has his own opinions and he's not afraid to voice them.

"Don't tell me about those tourists. Today tourism became an industry. Today lots of hordes English come to Hill 62. In the past these English had to take Belgian busses to scout the continent. Today they can go everywhere with their own busses. The attraction of "In Flanders Fields" became bigger. I'm wondering that I'm meeting nearly only English school kids. Where are the French and German school kids? Besides this tourists are dirty people. Every day we pick up tin cans and plastic. Maybe it's also the fault of the municipality and maybe bins are urgently necessary."

And war? "In wartime people aren't anylonger people. They behave like animals. Also in every post-war period there happen crimes, so-called because of revenge. I believe that even extremists can reach more than a war. A war destroys totally and at big scale. Extremists adjust a society. Finally I think that the municipality of Ieper (Ypres) play off her war history too much. What did the First World War brought in for us? Nothing! Why giving so much money to a museum that remember us to this? And then that Menin Gate! This building looks like a decor of Hollywood, such one from a movie of Ben Hur. Is this draft at the right place into the midieval fortress walls?" Raoul isn't agree with the idea to get attention for the war to avoid war and to promote the peace idea: "This let me think to these plates "Trespassers will be prosecuted". You don't have to speak about war to promote peace."

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