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LEFT BELGIUM 471 BELGIUM notable example of the quick industrial recovery, it may be noted that by Septem- ber, 1919, the coal production had reached 87 per cent, of what it had been previous to the war. The number of miners actually at work was nearly 100,000. Not only was there enough coal to run the railroads, but Belgium apparently was producing a larger proportion of the pre- war output than any of the other Euro- pean countries, and it was able to export coal on account of the comparatively small demand of factories, which had only been partially reopened. While there were strikes and other economic troubles in 1919-1920, these were settled largely through the inter- vention of the government through arbi- tration. The labor union leaders were, on the whole, conciliatory, and avoided strikes wherever possible. The pre-war debt, which amounted to about five billion francs, had been in- creased in 1919 to a total of nearly twenty billion francs. German indemni- ties were relied upon for a liquidation of a large part of this war dfebt. There was payable before May 21, 1921, 2,500,- 000,000 francs. The government set about effecting a system of taxation in order to restore the equilibrium of the budget. In April, 1919, a tax on war profits was adopted at rates varying from 20 to 80 per cent. The retirement of the German marks and the complete restoration of the franc was completed in 1919. By the end of the year exports were being made on a considei'able scale, chiefly of coal and beet sugar. Quantities of glass were also exported, as well as matches, yarns, and textiles. Railtvays. — The railroads of the coun- try were rapidly restored in 1919. A large part of the moving stock taken by Ger- many had been returned. By the autumn of 1919 freight traffic was nearly normal. Army. — At the time of the signing of the armistice, the field army of Belgium amounted to about 204,000 men, including 8,400 officers. It was arranged to re- lieve this army from service for the month of November, 1919. A new law was passed fixing the effective army at 100,000 on a peace footing, and 320,000 on a war footing. In 1919 the Belgian army consisted of 365,000 soldiers and 14,050 officers. Belgium in the War. — By an act bear- ing date 19th April, 1839, signed in Lon- don, the perpetual neutrality of Belgium was guaranteed by Austria, France, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia. This treaty, which was signed by Belgium, bound her to preserve the like neutrality toward the other signatory powers, held her from entering upon a separate politi- cal relation with any one of them, and restricted her from calling for aid ex- cept in the event any one of them broke the compact and crossed her frontiers. Not for three-quarters of a century was a single step in violation of this treaty taken, although the war-cloud had been lowering over the principal conti- nental powers for nearly half a century before it finally broke with such fury as threatened to wipe out completely the whole nation. Simultaneously with the declaration of war on Russia, Aug. 1, 1914, Germany crossed Luxemburg; a principality whose own independence had been guar- anteed by her in concert with the other powers by treaty of 11th May, 1867, and ruthlessly invaded Belgium with the main body of its armed force. This was an initial step in the march on Paris, to which they approached within twenty- two miles but a few weeks later. On Aug, 4 the King of Belgium addressed his Parliament in a stirring speech exhorting the nation to stand firm. On that date the Belgian army had taken a brave stand against an over- whelmingly superior foe along the river Dyle, and in the immediate track of the advance on its principal cities, Antwerp and Brussels. By the afternoon of that day her pickets encountered the German force under Von Emmich, and by half past eleven that night the first cannon- ading of the greatest war in world his- tory had begun. Three days later Liege was captured by the enemy, after an assault of eleven days, during which she withheld an overwhelming force, and at once made the base of supplies from which the real advance of the invasion of Belgium began. Fighting step by step and making a resistance at which the world wondered considering the superior- ity of the foe at every possible point, the Belgian army was forced back, and the Germans entered the capital, Brussels, on Aug. 20, within sixteen days of the firing of the first shot. The backbone of Belgian resistance was now broken and the Germans spi'ead out and took possession of almost the entire King- dom. The government had meanwhile been removed to Antwerp, from whence it fled to Ostend on the sea-coast, and finally set up a provisional entity at Havre, France. But one great objective remained, Antwerp, which was captured Oct. 9, 1915. On Aug. 26 Belgium was formally placed under the iron rule of the conqueror, with Field Marshal Baron Von der Goltz as military governor. The King divided his time between his army and visits to London and Parrs.