Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1914-12-12

Of the important zinc industry, the
supply for which Is supplemented by
importations from Australia and other
countries. There are silver lead ores,
and these are the foundation for col
lateral industries. There is the raw
material for glass, and that is why the
Belgian plate glass and window glass
has been made famous through the
skill of Belgian artisans.
There Is the raw material for CO.
ment, and Belgian cement seeks the
worlds markets. There is the rubber
from the Kongo, and with mechanical
ingenuity of the artisans highly de-
veloped in engine construction, Bel
GUM makes automobiles and boldly
challenges the United States.
The textile industries of Client have
been famous since the middle ages,
and the raw cotton and fax of dozen
countries is transformed into wearing
apparel by the looms there. Artificial
silk factories and celebrated glove fac
tories are numerous. An important
element in the national life is the ex-
istence of cottage industries. There
are $4,000 lace and embroidery and
linen workers employed in this home
work. The country absorbs $175,000,-
900 of raw material annually for it's
textile industries.
The Antwerp diamond industry
holds it's own against the competition
of Amsterdam, and the Antwerp lapi
daries are especially favored by buy
ers in the United States. 1t is a poor
year when rich Americans do not alb
sorb at least $10,0O0,00O worth Of dia-
monds which have been cut in Ant
werp. The Antwerp syndicate at one
time took the entire diamond output of
German southwest Africa.
Active in Agriculture.
Intensive agriculture does all that is
possible to enable it to feed itself, but
in the nature of affairs its contribution
is only partial. The agricultural line,
however, is fully as active and as self
contained as the industrial life. Bel
GUM farms are model farms, and the
red tiled farmhouses are as pictur-
esque as those in any part of Europe.
While Belgium has little surplus agri-
cultural products to export, its orchard
area, which comprises 100000 acres, is
so well cultivated and SO productive
that it is possible to ship apples, pears,
cherries and plums to other countries.
The Belgian draft dog and the
dog cart as a means of transport in
the Flemish provinces Is common and
might properly be considered a domes-
tic necessity as much as the horse.
Stock-raising, too, Is part Of the Bel
gian agricultural system. The Elem
ish draft horses are sought for by
all countries, and every year from 25,-
900 to 10000 Of them are exported.
The United States takes a thousand Of
them each year.
An industrial nation with a limited
agricultural area inevitably becomes a
factor in the worlds commerce. Food
stuffs have to be imported and raw
materials to supplement those within
the country, such as coal and zinc. The
exports naturally are of manufactured
products.
To those who are not close students
of world commerce, the figures of Bel
GUMS foreign trade will be an aston
ishing revelation of the astonishing
Belgians. Until a few years ago the
little country had an international
commerce equal to that of all South
America. In round numbers 1t is
$1,700,OO0,000. Some of this is tran
sit commerce for continental neigh
bors, but the bulk of it is based on
Belgian consumption and production.
In a recent year the imports were
1857 900 900 and the exports $766,O00,-
600. The great volume of the COM
merce is with Germany, France and
Great Britain. All of this Is upset by
tho war.