Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22
WAS LEADER
IN TRADE Of WORLD
Frugal, Industrious, Efficient,
Wealthy and Progressive, Says
Geographic Society.

Belgium, whose identity as pro-
ducing unit has been more utterly de-
stroyed than it's identity as nation,
held a most important place in the pre-
war world of industry and trade, and
place. too. out of all proportion to the
country's size and it's population. A con-
sideration of the economic position of
Belgium before the war is contained
in bulletin just prepared by the Ma
tional Geographic Society. The bulle-
tin reads:
"Belgium's contribution to interna-
tional business was distinctive, and
the volume of It's trade was large and
growing. This little corner of Europe
contributed largely to the stability of
the markets of the world by it's won
derful ability for meeting the fierce
competition of modern foreign trade.
Organized for the last degree Of eff
f1ciency. a small land. overcrowded with
factories and with workers, in no cor
ner of which one might escape the
smoke of chimneys, the throb of ma
chinery and the rattle of freight, Bel
GUM sent its products, much as Lon
don sent it's money, to whatever mar
ket in the world that might show some
little deficiency by a slight rise in
price.
Eighth Wealthiest Nation.
Negligible in size, it yet stood eighth
on the list of the wealth of nations
and sixth on the list of national totals
of foreign trade. Commerce and in
dustry pervaded every nook and cram
ny in the land, with the single excep-
ton of one sleepy city, Louvain, a uni
vers1ty city and art center, a medieval
N u l,piy e-fo~ l. III
per and middleman for the countries
of Europe, manufacturer for all the
continents, and, by reason Of it's re-
markedly high industrial and agricul-
tural organization. it's world-beating
system of internal communications and
its low margins of profit, it rendered
important service as regulator of world
trade.
Antwerp fought neck and neck with
Hamburg, New York and London for
shipping honors Besides the products
of its own incesSant> industry, Bel
gums great seaport drew a mighty
stream of German business and large
part of the shipping and imports of
France. 1t had more than forty miles
of quays, more than New York and
considerably more than its first SER
man rival.
with a population Of about 100000
and an area of less than $4,000 square
miles, Belgium. in 1912, was able to
do $1,719,5 31 900 worth of business, or
considerably greater business than
that done by the proud dual monarchy
or by vast Russia. This mite of a ma
ton was fighting for place. and fight
ing with the bravest show of form,
among such trading giants as Great
Britain, Germany, the United States
and France. To meet the strain. to
keep up the pace. every particle of it's
strength had to be kept in play. Its
mills were a ceaseless hum from boun-
Diary to boundary. and even its sandy
wastes grew vegetables and fruits.
Frugal, Efficient, Progressive.
Belgium was frugal, industrious.
efficient 1t was wealthy and progress
sive. 1t had more railway mileage per
unit of territory than any other coun-
try in the world. 1t was among the
lands least afflicted with drones. 1t was
a country in which nothing went 10
waste and with but one national lux
urv-its capital. In Brussels money
was spent for things of pride: In an
the rest of the land it was put into the
soil. raw materials and labor.
..More than 80 per cent or the country
was under cultivation. About Is per
cent was forest land. The remaining
area was a Pittsburgh OF industry, aho
upon it people lived about l,3oo 70 tne
SQUARE mile. The foundations Oh DEL
GUMS marvellous success lay IN us re-
sources in coal and iron. in its stores OF
materials for making good glass IN ITS
thrift, in the intenseness OF lts uesel
onment- in the internal facilities of
water and rail eomm9niea s1'ed IN , short
More than one-seventh Of the popula-
ton Of BELGIUM were ns,ns e 9e-
Moved in factories The wage scale OF
these workers was slightly ut g1 Lower than
! STEADY and unsensational. as the
people back of it. the trade a OF gse
little better than merely meeting the
keen s,s 49a Of o %eee
machinery. iron. steel, coal. glass, cleo
,rea ss. cutlery tile aT ana has
crown. and the increase has mostly all
been held at home Pslgi ans. have ave not not
problems of greater population by
greater productivity at home ONE cons SID .
been sent abroad. an important sink
Ing fund or surplus created by this
small nations energy"