Norwich bulletin., 1915-08-20

medieval place. Belgium was store
keeper, shipper and mlddlemao for the
countries of EoropeS manufactures
for all the continents, and, by reason
of its remarkably high industrial and
sasrteultural organization, Its world
beating system OF internal communt-
cation, and its low margins OF profit
It rendered important service as rego-
lator OF world trade,
Antwerp fought neck and neck with
Hamburg, New York and London for
skipping hoSors, Besides the products
OF its own fncesSant industry, Bel
GUMS great seaport drew mighty
stream OF German business and a large
part of the shipping and imports OF
France. 1t had more than 40 miles
of uuays, more than New York, and
considerably more than its first Ger
man rival.
With a population of about 7,00o,-
600 and an area of less than $4,000
square miles, Belgium, in 1912, was
able to do S1,T1s. $4,000 worth of bus
mess, or a considerably greater bus
mess than that done by the proud Dual
Monarchy or by vast Russia. This
mite OF a nation was fighting for place,
and fighting with the bravest show of
form. among such trading giants as
Great Britain, Germany. the United
States and France. To meet the
strain, 10 keep up the pace, every
particle of its strength had to be kept
in play. Its mills were a ceaseless
hum from boundary to boundary. and
even its sandy wastes grew vegetables
and fruits.
Belgium was frugal industrious,
efficient. 1t was wealthy and progress
sive. 1t had more railway mileage
per unit of territory than any other
country in the world. 1t was among
the lands least afflicted with drone.
1t was a country in which nothing
went to waste, and with but one ma
tional luxury-its capital. In Brus-
sells, money was spent for things of
pride; in all the rest of the land be-
side, it was put into the soil, raw
materials and labor.
More than So per cent. of the coun-
try was under cultivation. About ID
per cent. was forest land. The re-
manning area was a Pittsburg Of in
dustry, and upon it people lived about
1900 to the square mile. The foun-
dations Of Belgium's marvellous sue
cess lay in its resources in coal and
iron, in its stores Of materials for max
ing good glass. in its thrift, in the in
tenseness of its development, in the
internal facilities of water and rail
communication, in short haul. and in
its highly skilled labor. More than
one-seventh of the population of Bel
GUM were wage earnerS before the
war, three-ffths being employed in
factories The wage-scale of these
workers was slightly lower than those
in both France and Germany.
STEADY and unsensational, as the
people back of 1t, the trade of Bel
gium grew year by year. always doing
just little better than merely meeting
the increasingly keen competition of
other lands. The staples Of this trade
were machinery, iron, steel, coal, glass.
electrical appliances, cutlery. fax and
textiles. Every year, the population
has grown, and the increase has most
ly ali been held at home. Belgians
have not migrated as rule, but have
met the problems of greater popula-
ton by greater productivity at home.
Considerable Belgium capital. however,
has been sent abroad, an important
sinking fund or surplus created by
this small nations eneTey."