The Washington times., 1915-12-26
URGES j. 5. TO FORM
DUTCH TRADE BUREAU
J. Bendien, Of Amsterdam, Here
With Plan to Increase Amer
lean Exports.

NEW YORK, Dec. 26.-Holland's busi-
ness conditions are almost an exact
duplicate of those In the United states
I'm these piping war times. according 10
]. Bendien, Of Amsterdam. who mas
come to America as n delegate FROM
the American Export Chamber OF Conn
merce in Amsterdam. Holland, with
plan for interesting American merchauts
In the establishment of an American
commercial information bureau IN
Europe. preferably I'm one OF HollandS
two leading commercial cities.
Tine shipbuilding yards of my coun-
try" said Bondien at the Hotel NC
Alpin, ARE so crowded with orders Tor
occan-going vessels that II they stopped
getting orders today 1t would take
every foot Of their building space and
every man they could employ up to the
end of 1917 to take care OF the orders
now on their books And yet there -
no sign Of q let-up I'm new contracts
that are being made. Holland ship own
ers are the largest contractors for these
now ships, and next to my own coun-
.rymen the Norwegians are the heaviest
investors in new tonnage.
Greater Demand With Peace.
1T is evident peace conditions will
bring about an even greater demand
for ships than existed before the war,
and with their customary foresight
and thrift the Dutch shipowners are
getting ready to take care OF this fu-
ture demand for moro ships and still
more ships. IT IS kind of prepared
ness Dutch merchants have been IA
nous for since they first engaged in
trade with the Fer Fast.
"The textiles Industries OF Holland,
particularly cotton and woOlen man
ufactures, are also turning out an
enormous quantity Of goods The pa
per mills are unusually busy, so are
the match factories, and those MAX
ing glassware, shoes, end paints.
"1he herring fisheries have grown
to be an unusually important factor
in the industrial life OF Holland owinS
to the enormous demand for herrinEs
as food on The part Of some of the
belligerent countries. In fact the de-
mand for herrings has grown to such
proportions that the price OF the fish
has risen so per cent over the average
price before the war broke out and
the government has had to take con-
troll Of the product TO the extent or
keeping certain portion of the catch
in Holland as food for the peonle and
domestic consumption.
Diamond Trade Slumps.
There are only two industries un-
favorably affected by the war. These
are the diamond trade of Amsterdam,
which is in a very poor condition. and
the liquor business. ] have noticed,
however, that lately America has be-
gun to buy more diamonds from Am
sterdam, and 1t would seem there was
a chance the trade, which is so iu-
portant to Amsterdam, would pick
up again. The Holland gin trade, on
the other hand. is not flourishing and
there seems to he little Improvement
for IL in sight
zone particularly happy result Of
this Industrial prosperity in my Coun-
try is the opportunity it affords us 20
handle the Belgian refugees question
I'm practical way. The hundreds o.
thousands of Belgians who poured
across our frontier after the fall OF
Antwerp were first taken care OF in
detention camps. military fashion. But
we soon saw that was not a very
practical and certainly not a very
helpful solution of the problem.
Put Belgians to Work.
Since our industries began to be so
busy we employed every one of these
refugees thaI We COulQ according TO the
trade they were practiced in. and the
| result is that they are not only happier
for the change from the refugee camps
but are also helping themselves and
helping us. 1t is astonishing the change
in the condition of these unhappy people
since they were given the opportunity
by Dutch manufacturers to go to WSrk
Hollands AGRICULTURAL products are
always her great asset and everything
she grows and makes from the products
of the soil Is in great demand. particu-
larlv such things as cheese and veget-
ables. Owing to the demand prices have
risen, of course. eggs being now about
120 per cent more costly than they were
before the war. We are selling an enor-
nous amount OF oleomargaFine to the
belligerent countries.
1T seems. in this war. all industries
revolve around the shipping question. or
get back to it in the end. In my cNpiO
try. at least. there is no one single line
of capital that is waking as much money
as the Dutch ship owning companies.
Their profits are growing all the time"
Bendien will spend three weeks in the
United States making addresses before
commercial institutions regarding his
plan for establishing an American COM
mercial inform tion hurpau in Holland