Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1920-02-14
Impression She Was Enriched
by 1t DispeIled by
Figures.
COST COUNTRY S477,707,OOO
All Of Her Industries Suffered, and
Much Was Sunk in Certain For
eign Bonds-Suffered Most
of Any Neutral.

land became enriched by the war are
combated In pamphlet issued by d.
j. Steyn Parve, acting consul general
for the Netherlands, showing that, by
reason Of its geographical and eco
nomic position, the pressure and evil
effects of the war were probably more
seriously felt there than In any other
neutral country.
On the mainland, the pamphlet says,
Holland was entirely surrounded by
territory in the hands of one of the
belligerents, while the North sea, more
than any other waterway, was part of
the war zone. AS the prosperity Of
Holland depends upon international
intercourse, industries were choked,
large OUTLAWS were imposed In the
maintenance of a defensive army,
there was growing unemployment and
the people generally suffered.
Shipping Shrinks.
In 1913 shipping in the ports of Hol-
land amounted to 36,229,OOO net tons.
That volume shrank to 1868, 900 tons
In 1918. Traffic in Amsterdam de-
creased from 1851 ships in 1913 to 37S
in 1918, and In Rotterdam from 1925
to 1,1S1 ships. Rhine tonnage dropped
from 1,16S,614 in 1913 to 400, 1872 in
1918. Dutch foreign trade became en-
tirely disorganized, owing to restric-
lions enforced by both belligerents.
Import duties in 1913 amounted to
S5,447 ,040. In 1918 they were about
$4,000 900, and domestic trade suffered
by the reduction. Individuals made
excess profits here and there, produc-
ing crop of the newly-rich. but they
thrived at the cost Of an impoverished
country; and against these profits
should be reckoned the loss of 247, 348
tons of shipping, representing 223S
per cent of the fleet of 1913.
Large profits came from agriculture,
in clay soil, in the first years of the
war. Sandy soil could not be culti-
waited, owing to lack of fertilizers, and
the requisitioning of rye, formerly
used as fodder, caused serious reduc-
ton in the number of cattle. 1t was
necessary to kill off the smaller species
of live stock in order to save food for
the more valuable species. War condi-
lions proved favorable to the fisheries
in certain periods. At other times
that industry was doomed to practical
inactivity. AS many as 135 fishing
boats were sunk and many fishermen
persisted.
Dutch holdings of foreign securities
were affected. In 1918 the nominal
worth of Russian bonds held In Hol-
land amounted to 1854 10000, and adj
ditional Netherland interest in Russia
represented value of $50, 800, 600, all
Of which may be considered lost.
Losses on securities of central Europe,
especially In Hungary. were very large.
Owing to the limitation of imports
by the allied governments, many Of
the Dutch industries could work only
under heavily restricted capacity. 1t
was extremely difficult to obtain raw
materials, coal, oils and other articles
essential to the industries, which had
to shut down for varying periods, dis
missing their employees.
The Royal National Committee Of
Assistance paid out so 423, $50 from
August 1914. to December, 1918, to-
ward the support of persons made In
digent by the war. In the same period
the government allocated SLOT 200, 900
toward expenses of the food supply
and S27 $40, 900 to assist the needy and
to combat unemployment.
Cannot Be Expressed in Figures.
Disadvantages connected with keep
ing under arms all the able-bodied part
Of the male population for four years,
taking many of them from their studies
or their regular productive work, can
not be expressed in figures. The most
important single item was that of the
cost of mobilization, which amounted,
+ at the end of 1915 to $3.50, $50, 900,
bringing the government expenses, due
to the war, TO total of $411, 7S7 ,0O6
Nearly $160,OOOOO0 was raised by
direct taxes and $685., 10000 was OBJ
tanned by loans. Additional extraor-
binary expenses have already alb
sorbed S27, $4,000, and the debt must
inevitably be increased to pay off the
original loans in from twenty to
twenty-five years. AS consequence
about $23.4S annually, an increase of
1853 per cent compared with 1918. The
amount now to be raised in taxes of
every kind may be put down at $780,
100000, compared with $50, 10000 In
1918.
In the Dutch East Indies expenses
for the army and for government in
dustries involved an extra outlay Of
S15, 900, while receipts from the in
dustries were $6,720,000 less than the
average for 1910-1913, and import du-
ties for 1915191S decreased by $14,-
100000. Charges for hospitality to
Belgian civilians, sheltered in Holland
at government cost came to $780,
900. If the shelter had been given to
informed soldiers payment would be
made fer 1t, but the money spent for
the civilian fugitives cannot now or at