Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-10
HOLLAND SAVED
MISERY OF, WAR
Cost to Neutral State as
Shown by Budgets of
Belligerents
SUFFERED HARD TIMES

SUFFERED HARD M
Copyright. 1918. Nep York Evening Post. lac.
Amsterdam. Jan. 1o.-It need not be
said that. although Holland was saved
from the misery OF war. the country
has experienced hard times, especially
in the last year.. The blockade which
was applied to the Central Powers gave
rise to great difficulties with respect TO
the supply of food and raw materials for
Holland as well. The lack of tonnage
and the drastic measures Of the bellig-
erents were the principal causes for the
bad general conditions here at present.
10 make things still worse. the asso-
ciated Governments resolved TO seize our
ships We may expect that II the league
or nations is ever created such acts will
be made impossible for the future.
In Judging the situation of the Dutch,
II Is often overlooked on your side that
we are quite dependent on Germany for
the import of coal. iron and steel. This
is demonstrated plainly by the figures of
our foreign trade. In the first half of
1918. the import OF coal in Holland
amounted to 834,1l2 tons q ton equals
lOoo kilograms). against 1.5l3,376 tons
IN the same period OF 1917. OF this years
Imports, 1919 tons came from Ger
many and only 1895 toni from the
United Kingdom. From the United
States We received 10 tons. The import
OF iron and steel In the same period
this year amounted to 62.225 tons, of
which 5i,556 tons came from Germany
and only 1884 tons from the United
Kingdom.
The pre-war coal consumption OF Hol-
Ia nd Ivaa about = am Aan saa, ann,,olx.
With a view to the constant decrease in
imports during the war. the ZONE pro-
duction has been stimulated with all
available means, and at present the pro-
duction has reached a level OF about
3.3S3.6s6 tons annually. against $780,
SIS In 1917. Estimating the total i'm
ports in 1918 lat the rate OF the first
half Of the year, at 1.66s,225 tons. the
demand cannot possibly be satisfied. The
shortage will consequently amount TO
about 1.e4s.000 tons. These figures
plainly show to what extent we are de-
pendent on Germany as far as our coal
supply is concerned. Such facts are well
known in Washington, but the public
Lopinion in the United States has to a
great extent been Influenced by certain
papers, giving wrong or insufficient in
telligcnce.
4 Neutral Viewpoint
Even II the United States had beer
prepared to send us coal. the submarine
danger would have prevented such sup
ply IL we had not beforehand secured
the German consent. 1t is very prob
able that ships carrying such Goa woult
have been sunk. We could w con
voyed our ships, and. II necessary, de
Tended them against submarine attacks
=, but by doing 80 war would have been un
A.. l,a.1
been n bold attitude OF our Government
. large countries may defend their inde
: pendence in this way. but small coun
tries cannot. The position OF a littl'
+, nation between large neighbors Is quit
different from that OF the United states
, which is economically independent, l
. ia very easy to get into war. but not 81
10 live in peace nowadays. War Is YER.
! unpopular In this nonmilitaristic coun
I try. -
Our country does not possess iro
/ furnaces Before the war such industr
would not have been profitable. Wit
a view to, the increase Of our cos
production during the war, plans hay
been projected to erect urnsces here
e The necessary iron ore will most prof
ably be shipped from Spain, A con,
{ pany has been formed with a capita
r Of 81 5000. 900 forms, fully paid up. !
D which the interests Of trade and indus
0 try will be fully represented. Also tn
= shipping companies and the well-knowI
ROYAL Dutch Petroleum Company wi
I participate in It. The company bear
the name of Royal Dutch Furnaces an
Steel Factories. 1t Is "A matter OF cours
G that It will take q long time befor
I these iron and steel plants will com
into production, and meanwhile man
n a ar a az - a hi
( Influenced by the lack OF iron and steeI
Especially the shipbuilding industry SUI
, fered under this evil. Before the wa
our wharves only built river ships, blu
In the first year after the war tn
lack OF tonnage and the impossibilit,
t of having ships built abroad caused Their
to take up the new business Of build
ing sea-going ships.
II the year 1917 ffty-nine steamship
and fifteen motor schooners Of 1O9,40
gross tons were delivered. On the othe
hand. the decrease in tonnage by war
destruction amounted to t~hirty-eigh
steamships and four motor schooners o
| los, $50 IONS. The net increase Of tn
number Of ships consequently amounte
d to ~twenty-one steamships and eleve'
h motor %schooners. The increase In ton
mage was, however. only 373S tons. Thi
= is a consequence of the fact that onl
small ships were built. At the end o
y 1917 ninety-eighy steamships an
o twenty-seven motor schooners of 290.
900 tons were In course Of construction
a In the first nine months Of 1913 tn
d Dutch feet has been increased wit
twenty-elght ships Of l4.746 tons.
In other lines OF business also tn
fact that the most necessary raw mate
n rails were lacking was a very unfavor
n able influence. The lack Of vegetabl
and mineral oils caused many manufac
e turers TO stop their business. OIL Is a
unknown article now. The lack @
dungs was r bad thing for agriculture
Before the war the home consumptio
Of Chile. saltpeter amounted to abot
1885, 900 tons. whereas only 1928 ton
8 was imported in the first half year Q
1918. F'
DAN IN RUSSIAN R0NnS