FACTS ABOUT BELGIUM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 21 July 1944, Page 6

FACTS ABOUT BELGIUM

INFORMATIVE HANDBOOK ISSUED

A useful handbook of Belgium, whose National Day falls to-day, has been compiled by Walter Ford and published for the Belgian Information Office by Bros. Ltd.. London. Our copy is from the Consul-General of Belgium in I)Iew Zealand. Concise information about most aspects of Belgian life before the war is given, along with a- section dealing with the 1940 campaign and with "Belgium in Britain.” It is interesting, for example, to recall that, although Belgium has existed for a little more than a hundred years as a kingdom, the name and some traditions go as far back as the “Belgae,” of whom Caesar wrote .

We remember Belgium as a highly industrialised nation before the war. The density of the railway network, output of pig-iron per head and foreign trade per head were amongst the highest in the world. But. as the handbook points out, a leading place is still held by agriculture In contrast with what happened in Britain, Belgian agriculture did not decay in face of the attraction of capital ‘into industry and the competition of foodstuffs imported from the newer lands where climate was favourable and land cheap It is worthwhile for a New Zealander to remember that Belgium reached a high stage of electrification in spite of any great national water-power such as we possess and that Belgium’s foreign trade has been built up under the gieat handicap of very poor resources in raw materials. The chief factor enabling Belgium to maintain her place industrially was her favour ed position at the cross-roads of Europe’ •f U isi es 9 uoted ol war supplies made available from the Belgian Congo show tl l AHies IIS te , rritor} .' has tae ™ to the Be Bin cd S ° pomted out that me. Belgian Government in exile is ft n »n Cl ft ' y independent ' having behind colonii in rC AWca !i ft°,v Bcl * ian siderable gold reserve. ' a con '