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Rh strong enough politically to stand alone and its vitality would be unquestionable. As to its economic strength the following figures will no doubt be of interest to the English public.

The Czech countries (Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, and Slovakia) are superior to all other Austrian provinces in their wealth, and almost alone they assure the prosperity of the Empire.

They are more densely populated than the rest of Austria (128 people to one square kilometre as against 83 in the rest of Austria). Of the $6 1⁄2$ million hectares devoted to the cultivation of grain in Austria, Bohemia had in 1914 2,610,490 hectares (over 6 million acres), i.e. 38 per cent. Austria produces about $7 1⁄2$ million metric tons of grain annually, of which 3.9 millions, i.e. 51 per cent., are produced in Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia alone, so that the Czech countries yield $15 1⁄2$ qr. per hectare, but the rest of Austria only 9.1 qr. per hectare.

Of the $7 1⁄2$ million metric tons of grain, Austria produces over 5 million metric tons of rye, wheat, and barley, Bohemia $2 3⁄4$ million, i.e. 54 per cent.

Thus the Czech countries produce 376 kg. (=829 lb.) of grain per inhabitant, the rest of Austria only 193 kg. (i.e. 428 lb.). The Czech countries yield 268 kg. (i.e. 590 lb.) of rye, wheat, and barley per inhabitant, the rest of Austria 126 kg. (i.e. 277 lb.).

The superiority of the Czech countries in grain