Omaha daily bee., 1915-07-26
STATISTICS NOT DEPENDABLE
Figures on Exports and Imports Of
Holland Prior to War Appear to
Have Been Badly Kept.
MANY STATEMENTS DISCOUNTED


Correspondence OF the Associated Pross.)
THE HAGUE July iG-In the absence
OF a detailed statistical system In Hol-
land II is impossible to say how nearly
accurate are the figures given in English
and French publications respecting the
effect Of the war on imports and ex-
ports
The truth OF the matter. according TO
the department OF foreign commerce in
The Hague. is that nobody ever knew
precisely how much or how little Holland
imported or exported. Holland Is free
pay or per cent duty. Otherwise
practically everything can be brought
into the country free of duty. OF the
total amount OF imports Holland never
consumed more than tenth part. Most
OF the trade was OF a trsnsltory nature
From all parts of the world goods were
brought to Dutch ports and were sent
on by rall to Germany. Russia, Austria
and Switzerland.
Statistics Of exports were kept. but
since nobody dreamed Of a war which
would upset the entire fabric OF modern
life, they were not kept in detail and the
total amount of goods which crossed the
specifically mentioned.
This caused a curious situation at the
outbreak OF the war. The government
know in general way how much It inn
ported. II also knew in the same vague
fashion the total amount OF exports. By
subtrecting one from the other II eN.
pected 70 arrive at the amount OF grain
and wheat and beer and butter which
remained in Holland for the consumption
OF tho people. Statistics, however. do
not seem to obey the laws of mathe-
MATES. for II was found that the Dutch
people consumed much more than the
difference which was the result of this
official subtraction.
Statisticlans are seriously working upon
the problem. but the war has upset
every established way OF living TO such
an extent that the problem is not an
easy one. For example, instead Of feed
ing an urban population doing chores
In offices and living the lives of clerks,
the government now has to feed 500, 900
soldiers doing hard labor at digging and
marching and the entire diet has been
upset. Then the Belgian refugees have
come into the country by the hundreds
OF thousands nobody knows exactly how
many and they eat different things from
what the Hollander does.
But In other ways the Dutch statistics
as printed In the British and French
papers do not give q clear idea OF what
actually happens. IL is often claimed
that the imports from America have In
creased by leaps and bounds This is
quite true. But in the first place the
| oil nrf
Bremen and the other German ports has
been entirely stopped. These ports are
blockaded and no ships can enter
Although the British and French ports
are open, the war regulations OF these
countries do not allow any exports "a
foreign countries and all the many ma
terials which formerly came from France
England and Germany, now have TO come
exclusively from America.
The stories OF large amounts OF food
stuffs being smuggled into Germany
across the Dutch frontier are entirely
discounted by the department of com.
| merce
To break Potato Corner.
1t is true that potatoes have gone into
Germany. but they were not on the con
traband list and they went I'm small
quantities, just sufficient to break tn,
potato corner which some German specu
lators had brought about. According tc
French newspapers, every sack of pota.
toes sold TO Germany meant the lives oi
fifty French soldiers According TO thC
Germans, 1t merely meant the breaking
up Of the corner and a fall in the price
of potatoes from s marks a bushel TO
marks twenty.
The accusations OF the allied pres;
against Hollands refusal TO assist In tn,
starvation of Germany and Austria ar,
made possible the faulty system OF sta
tistics mentioned before. and the first
measure of the Dutch government after
the war will be the establishment OF a
most minute statistical bureau, so that
every potato. every mustard reed ant
every pot OF jam can be closely trace
from the moment IL enters tho kingdom
until It disappears into Dutch house
Il a.