Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-11

scented the United States with a. us-
precede9tec enp!oyrssrt problem But
tie Ss- nov ss' Ssok q T e: vie ssz ss
1::ee: s:SsSss So!st ., q s;ss9sssty; Tse
cs!ef Q: the Se-iis Bureau. to make
: ssSsyey q Ss!E;u1 .sd the :o!ow:as
BY LoCIs p. LoCHNTR-
(Cosy-:gAt. 1881, by the Associated Press
BRUSSELS September 11-Tarcush-
out the war the whole world spoke Of
poor little Eelg!um-but It's happy and
prosperous Belgium now.
This midget country Of 5000 900 IL
hab!tants, once the object Of c.vliza-
t!on's solte!tuds, now can faee the fu-
ture calmly
Belgium. IS II excellent shape Hnan-
c!a1y. Her gold cove-age Of barkrotes
Is IS per cent. Her government bonds
sell above par. Her bank discount rate
Is only ~ per cent.
Savings bank deposits continue 70
grow despite the world crisis Exports
almost equal imports. S;xty-two thou
sand unemployed workers are no cause
for wor-y. Taxatioc IS not higher thar
n other European countries.
New Machinery Helps.
- survey Oy Ice SSSOC-3Ce0 S16SS
conducted ic Brussels among Statesmen,
economists, bankers, irdust5al!sts AID
workers revealed the following explana.
ttcc for BeIg!urs happy position.
The war devastation had b!!sstu
sequel IL that industry was entirely re-
built along the most modern ard most
progressive lines. This gave Belgium
a tremendous advantage over such
countries as England, whose industrial
equipment remains antiquated.
Thus without increasing the cusobe-
q blast furnaces Belgium has dcubled
her p!g!-on output The glass Industry
was transformed, practically doubling
production. Ninety per cent Of TIE
nations coal now Is extracted mechan!-
cally; before the war hand labor pre-
VaiIed.
L short, the selg.ans; Who seem to
be bern engineers, rebuilt fa-sightedly.
Moreover, they proved to be prudent
financ!ers, for during the 1e27-1s29
5ocM they built up reserves which cSc
be drawn upon during the present lean
years.
Here IS the opinion Of selg.ur.s s;tu-
alton expressed by Pau VanzeeIs.c,
director % the Belgian Nat!oaa! Bark
ard secretary Of the Belgian Economic
Council:
Speaking purely for myself, coz
slider Be!g!ur.s economic status tbs
most secure II al Europe
Deserves Built Up.
'E-st, We have stabilized our cur
-ency at rate favorable to our Pro
duct.ve industry. Second our indus
t-taltsts not Only completely r:odern.zed
their processes, but declined to yield to
the clacao- fer higher dividends and IN
stead built up reserves Third. large
part Of Belgian industry remained II
the hands Of small individual owners
and families, who, with amazing supple
ness, adapt themselves to changing con-
dttions
Fourth, Belgian industry did not
make the mistake Of over-expanding o.
tte!ng up surpluses IN non-Lqu!d invest
r.ects. Fifth, the national banks policy
IS absolutely sound constituting Bel
gums Rock Of Gibraltar Sixth. the
dersely populated country Is covered
WITH network Of railways, waterways
and roads, enabling goods to move
Moreover. the worker employed II
the city can nevertheless live in the
country, where. besides enjoying low
rent, he has patch Of lard which his
wife manages with consuc.rate skill
Truck gardening poultry raising ard
rabbit breeding add to the family ex-
chequer."