Other Foreign Countries. ABYSSINIA, KINGDOM OF ETHIOPIA. EA; estimated, 350,000 square miles. 'ULATIÓN, estimated, 10,000,000. PITAL, Addis Ababa; pop., estimated, 70,000. ress, Walzeru Zauditu, daughter of the late mperor Menelik, born in 1876: elected Empress spt. 27, 1916, after her nephew Lij Yaser was posed. Heir and Regent, Menelik's grand nephew, as Taffari, born July 17, 1891. byssinia is a mountainous volcanic country in heast Africa, bounded by Eritrea (Italian) on north, British Somaliland (Berbera) and Italian aliland on the east, Kenya and Uganda on the h, and the Sudan on the west. The agriculI and mineral resources of the country are comtively undeveloped, and its wealth of water er is unused. In the lower country and deep eys, which are very hot, sugar cane, cotton, ve and rubber are produced, while grain, fruit, acco, potatoes, etc., are grown in the higher perate country. The upper slopes are given to cattle raising. Hides, skins, coffee and wax are the chief exports, and cotton goods the f imports. The total trade is estimated at about ,000,000. A railroad 495 miles long, built under nch auspices, runs from Jibuti to the capital. he religion is Christianity of the Coptic sect. leation is for the clergy alone and the people generally illiterate. Herman scientists describe the Abyssinians as "a ed Hamito-Semitic people," and other ethnolo8 assert that the "true Abyssinian type con18 no Negro blood whatever and none of the gro qualities, either physical or mental." The al family claims decent from Menelik, the son King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Abyssinia he only country in Africa that was neutral in World War. Abyssinta applied for membership he League of Nations in 1923. After an investion into the existence of slavery in the kingdom the promulgation of a decree in June, 1923, king slave trading punishable by death, Abyssinia 5 admitted to the League, Sept. 28, 1923. By diplomatic agreement in 1926 between Abysa, Great Britain and Italy, made after a protest Abyssinia to the League of Nations, the British empowered to build a dam at Lake Tsana, the ree of the Blue Nile for the irrigation of the dan, and the Italians to build a railway between trea and Italian Somaliland. Trade with the United States for fiscal years: Imports. Exports. $19,477 $336 2,051 9,500 5,227 ar. 20-21.. 21-22. 2-23. 23-24. 24-25. 25-26. AFCHANISTAN 172 18,229 2,511 8,833 4,266 13,756 EA. estimated. 245,000 square miles. tr, Amanullah Khan, born June 1, 1892, succeded on the assassination of his father, Amir Habibullah Khan, Feb. 20, 1919. Assumed title of King, June, 1926. Heir, his son, born June 5, 1921. Afghanistan occupies a mountainous country in da between 61° and 72° east longitude and 29° d 38° 20' north latitude. Its extreme breadth rtheast to southeast is about 700 miles, and from e Herat frontier on the west to the Khyber Pass the east it is 600 miles. It is bounded on the rth by Transcaspia (Russia) and Bokhara, on e east by British India, on the south by Baluchis(British India), and on the west by Persia. The Evation is generally over 4,000 feet. There are ree great river basins, the Oxus and the Kabul the northeast, and the Helmund, which runs uthwest through the middle of the country. It ks 20,000 square miles of being as large as Texas. Towering above Kabul are the Hindo-Kush ountains, 15,000 and 16,000 feet high and reaching 425 feet 100 or 200 miles to the east. Trade to dia flows through the famous Khyber Pass from abul to Peshawur. Afghanistan has been called "the land of rocks d stones and sanguinary feuds." Its people are arly all Mohammedans. The Afghans have been the dominant race for 200 years, the Tajiks, aborigines, being cultivators and traders. Along the frontier are warlike and independent tribes of Pathans and others with a fixed habit of raiding across the border and receiving punishment. Disturbances have been frequent. The languages spoken are Pushtu and Persian. There are many fertile plains and valleys in the mountain, and good irrigation makes available There are two harvests a year, all profitable soil. one of wheat, barley or lentils, and the other of rice, millet, maize and dal. Fruits of the temperate zone are plentiful. Sheep and transport animals are raised. The fat-tailed sheep is native to the country. Its tail is of immense weight and size. formed of masses of fat, a store of nourishment drawn the Afghans their chief meat diet, and the fat of the on by the animal in winter. These sheep furnish tall is a substitute for butter. Wool and skins are the main articles of export, together with fruits, nuts and ghi. The imports are textiles, metals Transand hardware, leather goods, tea and sugar. frontier trade with India amounts to about $15,000,000 annually. Copper, lead and iron are found. There are no railroads in the country, but plans have been developing looking toward the building of railroads across the country in the northeast to connect Termez, the rall head of the road from Kabul, and another to connect with the railroad Bokhara, with Peshawur, in British India, via from Merv at its rall head at Kuska, via Herat, in the west, and Kandahar, in the south, to New Chaman and Quetta, in Baluchistan. Merchandise is now transported on camel or pony back along the seven important trade routes. The Government is monarchical and the laws and customs those of Islam. The late Amir was recipient of a subsidy from the British Government, but that was ended by a new treaty signed on Nov. 22, 1921, in which Great Britain recognized the complete independence of Afghanistan, established the frontiers, and withdrew the privilege Afghanistan had enjoyed of importing arms and ammunition through India. In 1921 Soviet Russia, by treaty which recognized the independence of Bokhara and Khiva, replaced the British subsidy with an annual grant of 1,000,000 gold rubles ($500,000), and the Turks entered into an offensive and defensive alliance with both Russia and Afghanistan. The British then negotiated another treaty with the Amir permitting him to import arms through India. Soviet Russia negotiated treaty of "mutual neutrality and non-aggression" on Aug. 31, 1920. The Afghan army was reported to number 100,000 well armed men. ALBANIA, REPUBLIC OF AREA, estimated, 17,374 square miles. POPULATION, census of 1921, 831,877. CAPITAL, Tirana; pop., estimated, 12,000; other cities, Durazzo, pop., 5,000; Scutari, pop., 32,000; Elbasan, pop., 13,000; Valona, pop., 7,000. President, Ahmed Zogu, Sept. 29, 1925. Albania, after centuries of Turkish domination and of contention between Its Balkan neighbors and Italy during and after the World War, has had its independence assured under a treaty with Italy, Aug. 2, 1920, and was formally admitted into the League of Nations in January, 1921. A treaty was signed by Albania and the powers on July 31, 1926, establishing its boundaries as delimited by an International Commission. The country is mountainous, bounded by JugoSlavia on the north and east, Greece on the south, and the Adriatic Sea on the west. It is an agricultural and cattle and sheep raising state. There are no railroads, banks or currency and few schools. It is about the size of New Hampshire and Vermont. The latest census, 1921, returned the population as: Mohammedans, 584,675; Greek Christians, 158,215; Roman Catholics, 88,987; total, 831,877. Legislative power rests in a Diet of 120 members, elected in January, 1924. At the head of the state is a Council of Regents composed of a representative of each of the four religious bodies of the country, a Bektashi Moslem, a Sunni Moslem, a Greek Catholic and a Roman Catholic. Revolution in May and June, 1924, resulted in the overthrow of the Premier, Ahmed Zogu, and the establishment, on June 12, of a nationalist provisional government with Bishop Fan Styllan Noll, former Foreign Minister, at the head. He was educated at Harvard University, 1909-12, and is the head of the Albanian Orthodox Greek Church. In turn his government was overturned at Christmas time, 1924, by Ahmed Zogu. Bishop Noll fled to Italy. Premier Ahmed Zogu abolished the army. about 8,000 men, had the National Assembly proclaim Albania a republic, and on February 20 ratify an oll exploration grant to the Anglo-Persian Oll Company. The concessions were later divided up between that company, the Standard Oil, the Italian Railway Administration, the Italian Company Selenizza, and the French Oil Company. The Assembly elected Ahmed Zogu President of the republic for a seven year term in Jan., 1925. and he assumed that office Sept. 29, A constitution adopted March 2, concentrated great power In the hands of the President, who can name and dismiss Ministers at will. The Senate has 18 members, 7 which six are appointed by the President. There are 99 Deputies elected for four years. Judges serve during good behavior. The budget as passed by the National Assembly on June 18, 1923, provides for an expenditure of 21,664,078 gold francs, of which 5,280,620 is appropriated for the Ministry of War, 2,838,120 for the gendarmerie and 2,000,000 for the Ministry of Public Instruction. The trade of the country, all with Italy, was: Imports, 1920, gold francs.. .17,530,000 1921. .17,659.000 Exports, 1920, 1,522,000 2,190,000 1921. ANDORRA, REPUBLIC OF AREA, 191 square miles. Andorra is a republic in a valley of the Pyrenees under the suzerainty of France and the Spanish Bishop of Urgel. It is governed by a Council of 24. elected for 4 years by heads of families in each of the six parishes. The inhabitants speak Catalan and are Roman Catholics. Sheep raising is the chief industry. Andorra is not a member of the League of Nations. ARABIA AREA, estimated. 1,200,000 square miles. The Arabians occupy a peninsula in the southwest corner of Asia between Palestine on the west, Syria on the north and Mesopotamia on the northeast (an Indeterminate line), the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, with the exception of Aden, a strongly fortified coaling station of 75 square miles with a protectorate of adjacent territory of 9,000 square miles, pop. 54,923, held by Great Britain. Nearly one-half of Arabia is desert. It is, roughly, as large as that portion of the United States stretching east of California to the Mississippi and north from Texas to the Canadian line. Maps are very deficient. The boundaries of the native states of Arabia are un defined. Turkey, in the treaty of peace, renounced all rights to Arabia. The organization of the native states has been developed under British auspices, the principal rulers (the King of the Hejaz and the Imam of Yemen) being subsidized on condition that they maintain internal peace and place the control of foreign affairs in the hands of British advisers. These states are: THE KINGDOM OF THE HEJAZ AND THE The Hejaz lies on the southwestern part of Arabia from the Egyptian line to Asir along the Red Sea. Its area is about 112,500 square miles; population (estimated) about 900,000. The importance of the Hejaz is due to its possession of the holy cities of Islam, Medina, where the Mosque of the Prophet enshrines the tomb of Mahomet, who died in the city June 7, 632, and Mecca, his birthplace, containing a great mosque sheltering the sacred shrine, the Kaaba, in which is the black stone given by Gabriel to Abraham. As many as 200,000 of the faithful have made the pilgrimage in a year. Medina (pop. 20,000) is 820 miles from Damascus, and is the terminus of the Hejaz railroad. Mecca (pop. 60,000), the capital is 200 miles further south, and is 55 miles from Jeddah (pop. 20,000), the chief port on the Red Sea. chief product is dates. Some hides, wool and gum are exported. The The Kingdom of the Hejaz was a creation of the World War. Husein ibn All, Grand Sheriff of Mecca, cast off his allegiance to the Sultan and proclaimed himself King of the Hejaz in 1916, joining the Allies in the war. The Hejaz was represented at the Peace Conference by Emir Feisal, third son of Husein, new King of the Iraq, and was admitted to the League of Nations in 1920. The King's second son, Emir Abdullah became ruler of Transjordania when that Arab state was set up within the Palestine Mandate King Husein had himself proclaimed Caliph of Islam in March 1924. This did not sult Abd-dAziz es-Saud ibn Saud, Sultan of Nejd, able and warlike leader of the Wahabis, the extreme fanatie austere Moslem zealots. In August, 1924, he invaded Transjordania but was driven back by British air forces. In September he captured Tatt, 60 miles east of Mecca, and threatened the Holy City. Klag Husein abdicated both throne and his claim to the Caliphate on October 3. His eldest son, Emir AL succeeded as king, but did not claim the Caliphate Ibn Saud captured Mecca by assault of Sept 14 King All and nis forces retreating to Jeddah, Us port on the Red Sea. The Wahabis held Mecca, and in December captured Medina. King AB abdicated and left the Nejaz. Ibn Saud entered Jeddah and on Jan. 11. 1926, in Mecca was pres 1 claimed King of the Hejaz and Sultan of Nejd. Ibn Saud had been vigorously spreading his auther ity over the interior of Arabia. In 1920 he had annexed Abha and other parts of Astr. In 1921 he captured and annexed the Amirate of Jebel Shammar and in July, 1922, he had captured the Jauf district and extended his influence up to Wadi Sirhan, so that when he assumed the title of King, his dominions embraced the whole area of desert Arabia. October, 1925, he concluded an agreement with the British Government fixing the Iraq boundary and consenting to a revision of the northwestern frontier) o which threw the old Turkish province of Maan with Aqaba into Transjordania. The administrative districts number twelve some being administered by appointed governo estimated as about 300,000. and some by local emirs. The total population The products of Neld are dates, wheat, barley, fruit, hides, wool, and Arab clocks, besides camels, horses, donkeys and sheep. Exports are insignificant.. Ibn Saud has thirteen surviving sons. THE IMAMATE OF YEMEN Imam, Yahya Mohammed Hamid ed-Din. Yemen is in the southwest part of the peninsula between Asir and the British protectorate Aden. Its area is estimated at 75,000 square miles and population 700,000. Capital Sanaa (pop. 20,000 chief port Hodeida (pop. 40,000). On the plates of El Jebel, the most fertile part of Arabia, grain and coffee are grown. Hides and coffee are exported. Mocha, once a flourishing coffee port, no longer counts. THE SULTANATE OF KUWEIT Sultan, Hamed ibn Jobar; succeeded March, 1921. Kuwelt (pop. est., 50,000) extends along the Persian Gulf from Mesopotamia to Nejd. It capital, Kuwelt (pop. 25,000), is an important port on the Persian Gulf, and has been selected as the seaport terminal of the German Berlin to Bagdad railroad. Horses, wool, dates and pearl are exported. THE SULTANATE OF OMAN Sultan, Seyyid Felsal ibn Turki: succeeded hi father, 1924. Oman occupies the southeast portion of the Arabian peninsula with a coast line about 1,000 miles long, extending from El Katar on the Persian Gulf to Ras Sajir on the Arabian Sea. It has an estimated area of 82.000 square miles and a popu lation estimated at 500,000, chiefly Arabs. The nomadic tribes of the interior after seven years of rebellion have completely thrown off the control have entire home rule and freedom of trade. The of the Sultan and by an agreement, October, 1920. Sultan has for years been subsidized by the Govern ment of India, which maintains there a political agent, Major R. G. Hinde (1924). The capital Muscat (pop. estimated, 20,000). The best camels in Arabla are bred in the interior. The chief ex ports are dates. Food supplies and textiles are imported. Trade is mostly with India. The trade of the Hejaz, Arabia and Mesopotamia with the United States was returned by the United States Department of Commerce collectively unti Dec. 31, 1925. It was: Year. 1921-22.. 1922-23. 1923-24. 1924-25. 1925. July 1-Dec. 31. Imports. Export $291,229 $734.52 322,596 1,388,385 326,853 3,202,958 565,523 3,331.287 306,130 4,075,551 The trade of the Hejaz and Arabia with the United States, from Jan. 1, 1926, to June 30, 1926, WE imports $37,606: exports, $12,498. ARGENTINA, REPUBLIC OF EA, 1,153,418 square miles. PITAL, Buenos Ayres, pop., Census Dec. 31, sident, Dr. Marcelo T. de Alvear (1922-1928). naugurated, Oct. 12, 1922. mier, Jose Nicolas Matienzo (Interior). Argentina extends from Bolivia 2,300 miles to De Horn and from the ridge of the Andes to the th Atlantic, occupying the greater part of southern uth America. Its greatest breadth is about 930 08. In area it is about equal to the eleven Mounand Pacific States of the United States. It is anded by Bolivia on the north, Paraguay on the theast, Brazil, Uruguay and the South Atlantic an on the east and Chile on the west. East of the Andes are great plains, heavily wooded called the Gran Chaco in the north, and vast eless pampas, given over to wheat and cattle ing, stretching south down to the plains of agonia. Vast tracts of land amounting to 237,8,000 acres are public domain land, opened by =Federal Government to colonization. In the ars 1857-1920 the number of immigrants by sea 5,121,958. Immigration comes principally from ain and Italy. A law passed in 1919 requires each ending immigrant to produce a certificate of good aracter and ability to work. Immigrants in 1922 mbered 139,953, of which 58,970 were Italians 144,738 Spaniards: in 1923, 232,501; in 1924, 0,127; and in 1925, 125,365. Wheat, maize, flax and oats are the principal ps. The sugar and wine industries are making eat progress. Sheep, cattle, horses, goats and s form the chief wealth on the ranches. Packing uses have been established and the export of zen beef and mutton and other livestock products become a great industry. The livestock census of Dec. 31, 1922, returned 064,850 head of cattle, 30,671,841 sheep and 36,638 hogs. According to the official figures received by the 8. Department of Commerce the slaughter at Argentine packing houses during 1924, comred with previous years, was as follows: attle.... ogs...... 1924 1922 1921 On an acreage of 17,237,500 in 1922-23 there res. Wine There is little mining, but 5,422,000 barrels of otroleum were produced in 1925; 4,163,000 in 1924, nd 3,399,651 in 1923. Textiles, olls and chemicals, iron, agricultural plements and machinery, glassware and crockery, od foodstuffs are the principal imports. Manucturing is on the increase. Factories in 1916 umbered 48,779, employing 410,201 persons. In 1924 there were entered to all Argentine ports 375 steamers, with a tonnage of 11,349,357. rgentina had on January 1, 1926, 23,298 miles of allroads, of which 4,112 are owned by the state; he privately owned railroads are almost entirely the hands of English companies. The total receipts of the state-owned railroads in 923 were $18,650,200 as compared with $13,396,400 1922. The proportion of operating expenditures o revenues was very high, reaching 128.82 on the Central Norte Argentino. The private lines all howed a profit, total receipts being $119,148,900 1923, compared with $111,854,800 in 1922. The udget of the state railroads for 1925 estimated Cross receipts at 49,962,732 paper pesos and expenditures at 50,383,362 paper pesos. Argentina proclaimed its independence of Spain July 8, 1816, and the years until 1852 were years of disturbance and civil war. The Constitution then adopted and under which, somewhat amended, the republic is governed to-day, is modeled closely after that of the United States. There are 14 provinces, with a very high measure of home rule, electing their own Governors and Legislatures, and 10 territories administered by Governors appointed by the President, also a Federal District (Buenos Ayres, area 72 square miles), whose Mayor is appointed by the President and who is assisted by a deliberative council elected by the tax-paying inhabitants. The President of the republic, who must be a Roman Catholic and Argentine by birth, is elected by an Electoral College for a six-year term and is Congress consists of a ineligible for re-election. Senate of 30 members, chosen by a special body of electors for six years, one-third retiring each two years; and a House of Deputies, numbering 158, elected by direct vote for four years, one-half retiring every two years. The Roman Catholic religion is supported by the state, but all creeds are tolerated. Primary education is free, secular and compulsory, but the percentage of illiteracy is still high. There are national universities at Cordoba, founded in 1613, with 1,603 students in 1920: Buenos Ayres, with 10,404 students: La Plata, 2,979, and Rosario. There are also three provincial universities. Service in the national militia is compulsory, the peace strength of the army being 1,750 officers and 25.600 men, with a reserve of 759,000. The navy consists of two dreadnoughts of 27,940 tons each, mounting twelve 12-inch guns, and refitted in 1924; four armored cruisers and one light cruiser. Parliament in September, 1926, authorized the Government to spend 75,000,000 gold pesos in ten years to modernize the fleet providing for three light cruisers, six destroyers and six submarines. Argentine withdrew her delegation from the League of Nations in 1920, but in September, 1926, had under consideration a return to active membership. Par of exchange, pesos, paper 42.44 cents. Rate of exchange, Oct. 1, 1926, gold, 92.91 cents: paper, 40.87 cents. The budget for 1925 provides for expenditures of 686.971,850 paper pesos, of which 76.865,181 are for public works, etc., to be covered by bonds, and estimated revenues of 572,087,592 paper pesos. The budget for 1926 provides for expenditures of cash 675,000,000 paper pesos, and internal bonds, 96,750,000 paper pesos. A 6 per cent. loan of $30,000,000 was floated in New York in December, 1924, and another of $45,000,000 in June, 1925, largely for refunding operations. A third for $20,000,000 was floated in New York on May 1, 1926, and a fourth for $16,900,000 on Oct. 1, 1926. The funded debt on Jan. 1, 1926, was: Internal, pesos; external, 833,567,600 910,225,200 paper paper pesos. The floating debt Jan. 1, 1926, was: The total debt June 30, 485,197,108 paper pesos. 1926, expressed in United States currency, was about $938,932,301. The national wealth was estimated by the 1914 census at $14,543,000,000. with government owned property estimated at $1,125,000,000. Bank notes in circulation, Sept. 1, 1925, amounted to 1,319,797,739 paper pesos, guaranteed by gold deposited in the Conversion office in the sum of 451,782,984 gold pesos. President de Alvear, on July 23, 1923, sent to the Senate for secret consideration a request for authorization to spend 155,000,000 gold pesos to modernize the army, with plans for a strong air force, modern machine guns and artillery, sanitary equipment and machinery to manufacture guns and ammunition and projectiles. Imports and exports for five years in dollars were: Year. 1921.. 1923. Year Imports. $200.890,985 $124,299,424 Exports. $651,840.000 665,420,000 652,422,000 682,225,426 603,858,543 799,695,500 971,892,210 845,982,628 839,378,753 Trade with the United States was: Imports. Exports. 80,495,060 60,767,964 109,427,610 132,497,855 106,690,799 77,423,752 134,864,036 78,071,114 147,268,301 85,958,456 ARMENIA. (See under Russia). AUSTRIA, REPUBLIC OF AREA, 32.396 square miles. President, Dr. Michael Halnisch (1924-28), born Chancellor, Mgr. Ignatz Seipel (Foreign and Internal The Austria of to-day-mere remnant of the Pop. per Sq. M. 17,419 184 198 Area Sq. M. 107 Pop. 1923 Census. 1,863.783 1,552 7,451 1,478,697 4,626 873,702 189 2,762 222,731 6,323 977,350 3,688 370,432 81 155 100 64 139 201 Total.. 32,396 6,526,661 From 1910 to 1920 the population decreased 3.8 per cent., the men decreasing 6.53 per cent. in the war losses. In 1910 the present Austrian territory had 5,979,667 Roman Catholics, the Austrian Empire being the most powerful Catholic unit in Europe. The Catholics were 94.11 per cent. of all; Jews, 2.99 per cent.; and Protestants, 2.60 per cent. The World War was precipitated by the assassination of the heir presumptive to the throne, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, by a Serbian in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on June 28, 1914. assets were burdened by relief liens and, in addition, In February, 1922, Great Britain consented to 000, at the rate of exchange prevailing at the lend Austria £2,350,000 (approximately $10,440$3,850,000); Italy, 70,000,000 lire (approximately of 1922): France, 55,000,000 francs (approximately $3,500,000); and Czechoslovakia, 500,000,000 crows (approximately $15,000,000). The British loan w paid over in March on security of the State Gobelin and as an advance on the larger credits to follow after the settlement of the lien question. On July 21 the Reparation Commission agreed to release certain Austrian assets from the general lien and in August 20,000,000 francs (approximately slovakian loan were paid over. The latter lon $1,400,000) of the French loan and the entire Czecho however, was earmarked by the application of mos of the proceeds to the repayment of previous deb by Austrian nationals to Czechoslovakian nations's Austria appealed again to the Allied powers at the the League of Nations for consideration when London conference in August and was referred t convened on August 31. Subsequently the Austria boring countries, indicating the extreme gravy Chancellor, Mgr. Seipel, held conferences in neigh problem. and international political significance of the Austria (approximately A loan instalment of 36,000,000 September. $1,800,000) Was made duringj WORK OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS. The Austrian question was immediately taken in hand by the League's finance committee, which obtained consent to the release of Austria's liquid and relief payments were due and recommended as assets by the Governments to which reparation international loan. Three protocols were drawn and signed, Oct. 4, 1923, by which Austria's Inde pendence, territorial integrity and sovereignty were assured, an international loan of 650,000,000 gold crowns (approximately $126,000,000) guaranteed and certain obligations imposed. Austria needed funds immediately and authorized at the end of October the flotation of interim loans amounting to 130,000,000 gold crowns ($26,000,000), to be repaid from the proceeds of the international loan The first instalment of these loans, amounting to 30,000,000 gold crowns ($6,000,000) was subscribed to by Austrian banks during November. The League of Nations rehabilitation plan was finally accepted by the Austrian Parliament ou Dec. 3, 1922. The protocols were ratifled; a stop put to printing of paper money: a new national bank independent of Government control authorised and also the creation of a super-parliamentary Government. Parliament also agreed to a reconstru tion law providing for increased taxation, striat economies, adralnistrative and tariff reform, reduetion of the number of civil employees, and other measures by which the Government was to balsam its budget within two years. The guaranty of the international loan by the League of Nations was ratified during the latter part of December by Great Britain, France, and Czechoslovakia, each country guaranteeing 243 per cent. of the loan; and by Italy, which guaranteed 20.5 per cent. Belgium and Sweden each guarafteed 2 per cent. and Holland and Denmark each 1 per cent. The new National Bank was established on Jas 1, 1923, following the receipt of subscriptions to Its entire capital of 30,000,000 gold crowns ($6,the business and dividends of the Austrian section of the Austro-Hungarian bank. Dr. Richard Reisch was made President. Austria was proclaimed a republic on Nov. 12, 1918, the day after the armistice; a National Assembly assumed the Government and appointed a Cabinet. On Feb. 16, 1919, the National Consti-000,000) from Austrian banks. The bank took over tutional Assembly, consisting of one Chamber, was elected by the direct vote of all men and women over 20 years of age. A Constitution was adopted Oct. 1, 1920, which provides for a Parliament of two Houses, a Bundesrat of 46 members, chosen indirectly, and a Nationalrat, elected by direct vote for four years. These two Houses elect a President to serve for four years. All special privileges are abolished. There are eight provinces and the City of Vienna, each with a large measure of home rule on local affairs, by elected Provincial Assemblies. The army, limited to 30,000 men, numbered 17,000 in six mixed brigades in 1925. REHABILITATION OF AUSTRIA. Austria was forced to seek foreign assistance shortly after it was proclaimed a republic, and the European Allies, and to a large extent the United States, responded by advancing relief and food credits amounting approximately to $72,000,000 during 1919 and 1920. By the fall of 1920 the food credits had been exhausted, and in March, 1921, Austria again sought foreign assistance, this time through the League of Nations Austria wanted an international loan, but this was refused, as its In accordance with the provision for a superparliamentary Government, twenty-six member were elected to the super-parliamentary committe by the National Assembly on Dec. 7, 1922, with a majority of four votes in the Government parties (Christian Socialist and Pan-German). The committee functioned under the Federal Chancellor er and to it was given full power over the Government Vice Chancellor, together with the Cabinet Ministers. until Dec. 31, 1924, in directing the reform program The committee was subject to the General Commis sioner, Dr. Alfred Zimmerman of the Netherlands. representing the League of Nations. ernment made only urgent expenditures, consistent In carrying out the reconstruction plan the Gov with the reconstruction measures and not exceed ing revenues received, together with portions of loans placed at its disposal. Dr. Zimmerman reported to the League of Nations on Aug. 21, 1924, that Austria's industrial dificulties are chiefly due to traffic barriers raised by long credits, difficult banking conditions, the car neighboring states, inability to obtain and to grant poration tax and social laws greatly favoring employees. fiscal autonomy, is under control of the Social Democratic Party and is heavily taxed, its provincial budget for 1925 being approximately $60,000,000, and its municipal budget $20,000,000. Viennese must also pay their share of the approximately $110,000,000. The Government personnel in October, 1921, had numbered 253,211; with their families the total number of persons living on the Central Government was about 675,000, or over 10 per cent. of the population. If the extensive provincial bureau- Movement for the union of Austria and Germany eracy and municipal employees be added, nearly has grown steadily in Austria, although unton is one family in six was maintained out of the public forbidden under the Versailles Treaty and the funds. The overstaffing of the railways was heavy. protocols of the League of Nations. A judicial Ministries were reduced, overlapping eliminated system is being worked out parallel with that of and organization simplified. The President's Germany and new laws are being made to harmonize salary was fixed at $7,500 a year; the Chancellor, with those in Germany. Education is also being $3,750; Cabinet Ministers, $3,250; and Assembly-made to conform with common standards. men. $1,750. inland postal arrangement is also in operation, SUCCESS OF THE PLAN. was The first stage of the reconstruction of Austria was virtually completed by July 1, 1923. The international loan of 650,000,000 gold crowns (approximately $126,000,000) in twenty-year 7 per cent. bonds, in the United States (to which was allotted $25,000,000) England, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, Czechoslovakia and Switzerland, oversubscribed in each country and the bonds advanced when put on public sale. The Austrian share of the loan was substantially all subscribed to by the public. The National Bank's sound money reserve had increased steadily and covered on that date, at the legal rate of conversion, 46 per cent. of the note circulation which had reached 3.000 billion paper crowns. The League of Nations Council at Geneva, on Sept. 10, 1925, declared the entire success of the effort begun three years ago for the rehabilitation of Austria, and voted to remove League tutelage from Vienna on June 30, 1926. Mr. Zimmerman, the Commissioner General, on that date concluded his duties there. The League, however, retained control of the resources to guarantee service of the loan contracted by Austria under League auspices, and retained the right to re-establish tutelage by a three-fourths vote of the Council if advisable. This action followed a report by the League's experts, Charles Rist of the Sorbonne, Paris, and W. T. Layton, editor of the London Economist. Austria had fulfilled seven of the nine conditions, when on May 29, 1925, the compilation cf corporation balance sheets on a gold basis was announced. The eighth, the balancing of the budget, had practically been achieved, and the ninth condition, a definite settlement of the fiscal arrangements between the Federal Government and the provinces had been completed on July 1, 1925. About $41,000,000 was left from the international loan, only $2,000,000 of which had been used to balance the budget. The deficit in the budget for 1924 (88,500,000) was due to certain investments for the development of the railroads, but for that the budget would have had a surplus of $177,100. The receipts that year were $112,900.000 and expenditures $121,400,000. Actual revenues for 1925 were 1,048,500,000 schillings ($147,500.000) and actual expenditures including those on capital account 998,000,000 schillings ($140,400,000), leaving a gurplus of 50,500,000 schillings ($7,100,000). This completes the reConstruction of the finances. Capital expenditures were $12,930,000. In the budget for 1926 revenues were forecast at 759,400,000 schillings and expenditures at 844,700,000 schillings, including 120,900,000 for capital expenditures. The finance committee of the League of Nations In September, 1926, released the unallocated remainder of the international loan amounting to 100,000,000 schillings ($14,125,000). Half was deposited with the National Bank to reduce the Government debt to 128,000,000 schillings and the balance was for construction work. The schilling became the official standard in public offices, banks, etc., on March 1, 1925. One schilling equals 10,000 paper crowns. On that date the crown was quoted at .000014 cent, or 70,065 to the dollar. One dollar, therefore, equals approximately seven schillings. Rate of exchange of the schilling on Oct 1, 1926, was $0.14084. The National Bank of Austria on Aug. 30, 1925, reported gold reserves of 476.000.000 schillings ($69.000.000), with bank notes in circulation amountIng to 837,000,000 schillings, which covered up to 57 per cent. Note circulation on May 31, 1926, was 757,010,000 schillings. Deposits in the savings banks more than doubled in 1925, reaching on Dec. 31, 501,320.000 schillings ($71,617,143). Unemployment, whica was 38,000 on Sept. 15, 1922, 167.400 Feb. 15, 1923, 76,000 Oct. 15, 1923, 176,000 March 15, 1924, and 66,500 on Aug. 15, 1924, became very serious during the winter, reaching its peak, 189 000, on Feb. 28, 1925, but falling to 131,000 on May 31 and to 112,000 on Aug. 15. Doles for 1925 are estimated at $14.000.000. Winter increase brought the number to 224,000 on Jan. 30, 1926; but by July 30 it fell to 150,981. The City and Province of Vienna, with complete An AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY. Agriculture showed improvement in the years 1919, 1920 and 1921, and in 1922, 2,447,000 acres were seeded to cereals, while the pasturage increased about 400,000 acres to 2,737,000 acres. The yield in 1922 was: Wheat and rye, 22,200,000 bushels; barley. 5,680,000: oats, 18,780,000; and maize, 3,265,000. The import of flour in 1921 was 427,829 short tons, equivalent to about 20,000,000 bushels of grain. About 30 per cent. of the people depend on the cultivation of the soil. The census of livestock in 1923 showed a return. nearly to pre-war figures, viz. Horses, 282,480; cattle, 2,163,022; goats, 382.204; sheep, 597,414; swine, 1,472.821. The cotton spinning industry had 1,059,872 spindles in operation during 1925, producing 59,759.000 pounds of yarn. 20,889,000 were exported. Cotton looms numbered 14,000. tons (266,639 in 1924): steel ingots 463.578 tons The pig iron product in 1925 was 377,323 metric (369,643 in 1924); and rolling mill products, 351,793 tons (293,525 in 1924). Lignite production in 1924 was 2,770,000 metric tons: Imports of lignite were 714,000 tons, and of coal, 4,500,000 tons. The Austrian Alps and the Danube can furnish, it is estimated, more than 1,700,000 water horsepower. Of this, in November, 1918, 170,000 horsepower had been developed. By Dec. 31, 1925, this had been increased to 431,000, with 109,300 under construction in 1926. The main industries are the making of machinery, agricultural and industrial, with considerable making of automobiles; textiles, cotton and wool, which are exporting yarns to Germany; leather and fancy goods, which have always had world-wide repute; woodwork, furniture and paper. In 1923 Austria had 4,274 miles of railroads, of which 2,964 were operated by the state. Electrification is proceeding rapidly, $18,000,000 of the foreign loan being released for that purpose by the League of Nations in June, 1925 BELGIUM, KINGDOM OF AREA, 11,752 square miles. POPULATION, census of Dec. 31, 1920, 7,465,782 (including Eupen and Malmeay); estd. Dec. 31, 1924, 7,744,259, including Eupen and Malmedy (pop. 59,785): 659 to the square mile. CAPITAL, Brussels, pop.. 1923, with suburbs, 787,060. Chief port, Antwerp; pop., with suburbs, 333,882. Important cities, Ghent, pop., 165,910, Liege, 165,117: Malines, 60,118; Bruges, 54,308; Ostend, 48,073; Verviers, 42.289; Louvain, 39,225. King of the Belgians, Albert, born April 8, 1875, succeeded his uncle Leopold II. Dec. 17, 1909; Married Oct. 2, 1900, the Duchess Elizabeth of Bavaria. Heir Apparent, Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant, born Nov. 3, 1901; married Nov. 10, 1926, to Princess Astrid (born Nov. 17, 1905), third daughter of Prince Carl, brother of the King of Sweden; other children, Prince Charles Theodore, Count of Flanders, born Oct. 10, 1903; Princess Marie Jose, born Aug. 4, 1906. Premier, Henri Jaspar (Interior, Health) Catholic Party, May 22, 1926. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Emile Vandervelde, Socialist. Belgium is bounded on the north by the Netherlands, on the east by Germany and Luxemburg, |