The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-13
Marvellous industrial Organization and Achievements of
the Little Nation That Defended Its Territory So
Bravey Against Germanys Huge Army

To those who are not close students Of
world commerce the figures If B,lGlumS
foreign trad" VIII he an as onishlng rev
clatlon Of the astonishing Belgians.
intil few years ago the little country
uad an international commerce equal To-
that Of all South America. In round
numbers ii Is $l,70o.OOOOc0. Some Of
this l. ranS.t commerce for continental
u,ighhprs. hut the bulk Of it Is based On
Belgian consumption and production.
In a recent year the imports were S9i1,-
nuOUOO. and the exports S1G6,0Oo 600.
The great volume Of the commerce Is
with Germany. France ana Great Brit
ain. All of this Is upset 10y the war.
The commerce with the United States
is all favorable to this country. since
Z; lgium mu.t have grain nour and
'ih"r foodstunS. as we'll as Cuttun for It's
Industries The imports from he United
States rang" from S70,000,OUO To $50
100000. Manufactured articles form a
negligible quantity.
In ordinary years the United States
1hsorhs s2i000,000 to $40. 900 600 of Bel
siun products. During the war these
viii be shu, of. and doubtless after the
war Belgium Will find that American
manufacturers are producing for the
home market some Of the commodities
which it formerly supplied.
The United States has been heavy
buyer Of certain raw products as well
as uf manufactured Commoditc s from
belgium. This Is because of the posi-
ton Antwerp occupies as "A world port
for international transit. II has been
in the habit of taking $1,000, 900 Of hides
ana skins, which have been received
from South America and other Coun-
lries, cured and then rcshipprd To- the
I'm ted States. Congo rubber to the
amount Of $4,000 900 To $4,000 900 an
| nually has been imported via Antwerp
\ million dollars worth of ivory has
| been received in the same manner. The
| imports uf raN haX have ranged from
| $500 900 To 81 1000. 600. Artificial fertl-
| iZers have amounted to $500, 900
In the fine MANUFACTURED products
which are lielglum's speciaties, linen
goods imported by the United states IN
| average years amounts To S2.1Oo,OOo
| la IS usually approx mate 100000 and
wOullen textiles the same. Art.icia
silk also approXimatcs 100000 1t Wi,
| hc seen from this that the textile mar.
| kct of the United States is an important
one for the Bclrian Industries.
Belgian window ana plate glass an,
| photo glass have "A market of 81 500, 600
| American consumers, for a year a.
| least, are likely to be deprived Of The
| opportunity to purchase all these Bel
| gan articles,
| The United States, while increasing
| shipments Of gram, -four and othel
y foodstuffs, If the ports Of Antwerp an,
Chen are kept open, will lose the salt
| of one Of its great staple crops, VIII
the belgian industries Frustrated there
will be no cotton carSoes for Antwerp
and Client.
Outside of It's European trade, which
| is involved in the general war Cata
c'ysm, belgium will suffer vastly IN IT.
overseas commerce. Two or three year
agu belgian brazilian chamber o
commerce was established, ana "A com
mcrcial museum opened in Rio d.
JlnrirO as a permanent exhibition q
vet: an products, Belgium was thcl
selling Brazil $4,000, 900 worth Of prod
ucts Its market in the Argentine Re
public had about the same value. and il
chi" S.. 600 900.
In the Orient there were sales OF 81,
"ooO0o to Japan and almost AZ mucl
20 China, while Australia absorbed SO,
600 600 and British India IS 900 900 Fo
the time being all this market is lost I
i;Cigium.
shipping facilities have been ON
source of Brlgiun's success in interna
tona commerce, Picturesque BRUCE