Evening star., 1920-01-04
DANISH MINISTER DISCUSSES
REHABILITATION OF EUROPE
Christopher Hage Points Out What His
Nation Can Do in Repairing
War Damage.

should be possible in short time to
increase the stock to such an extent
that there will be considerable sur
plus fer export.
of poultry can be increased to such
an extent that Denmark will be able
to export on the pre-war scale. name
ly, 10000 tons of eggs. Besides eggs
we can export good quantity OF
fish"
What Denmark Can Spare.
Apart from food. the minister said
that Denmark can spare dairy ma
chinery. agricultural implements and
a certain amount of clothing, but he
believes that there will be a greater
market for such articles in Poland
than in the central empires. He is
unwilling to make estimates in this
respect because the amount which can
be spared depends on so many circum-
stances that it is difficult to give de-
pendable figures. This. of course. ap-
plies also to dairy products. and the
prices obta:nzble will either stimu-
late or retard production. In 1915 the
export of bacon and butter amounted
to 26,080,000 Kilograms (about 272,-
100000 pounds and 91,00O.0O0 kilo-
grams (20o,200,000 pounds). respec-
lively.
"oF'r the development of the situa-
tion the state of the money market
VIII De OIL the RTedteSl lHlpOI
continued Herr Hage. The present
rates of exchange place extraordinary
obstacles in the way of commercial
relations between Denmark on one
side and Germany, Austria and Poland
on the other. This. of course, applies
only to imports by these countries
from Denmark. 1t tends also to en-
courage increased export from Ger
many to Denmark, a tendency which
in some measure is counteracted by
the German business mems disposition
to advance prices on goods sold in
foreign countries"
In view of the collapse of the mark" :"
I said. can you say whether or not
contracts entered into last summer for
exports to Germany are now being car
| ried out from the German side?'
ITO the best Of my knowledge they
are" replied the minister. Il have
heard nothing to the contrary. 1 think
I should be advised II the Germans were
failing in this respect. 1t would hardly
be possible at this time to obviate these
difficulties of exchange by the extension
of credit, as Danish business men in
market could not wait for their money.
You may be aware that the bank rate
has just been increased and that the
National Bank of Copenhagen has
drawn attention to the difficulty of
placing loans at present
War Profits Of Neutrals.
When I drew Herr Hage's attention
to reports of huge profits made by
neutraIs during the war, he said:
That hardly holds good so far as
Denmark is concerned. The facts are
| that the storehouses were emptied
without hope Of being refilled No
goods could be purchased, and thus
there seemed to be more money about
than before. The stock exchange at
| tracted idle capital: with supplies from
abroad being cut or there was no other
| means Of using it. Now, however. this
| capital which was floating about caused
wrong Impressions of great wealth.
Money is returning to its natural field
Of activity with all commodities at
! greatly enhanced prices, and where
there was supposed to have been an
abundance of money comparative scar
city is revealed"