Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/746

 694

BELGIUM

of 4, 6, or 8 weeks, according to the branch of the service to which they belong. These recalls take place during the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year of service.

The strength of the army with the Colours at the end of 1920, was 100,000. Of these 1 infantry division and 1 cavalry regiment formed part of the Allied Army of Occupation on the Rhine.

The field army consists of 6 divisions and of 1 cavalry division. The divisions are composed each of 3 regiments of infantry of 3 battalions, and 4 groups of 3 batteries of field artillery ; of 1 regiment of cavalry, divisional cyclists, field telegraph and searchlight units, engineer companies, and a divisional transport corps.

The cavalry division normally consists of 3 brigades of 2 regiments, 2 battalions cyclists, machine gun sections, 1 group horse artillery, field telegraph units, pioneer pontoon cyclists, and a divisional transport corps.

The Grand General Staff, in addition, has at its disposal 1 brigade of 3 regiments of heavy artillery, trench mortars, aviation, aerostation, telegraph bridging equipment, railway and engineer units.

Belgium has no navy.

Production and Industry. I. Agriculture.

In each province there is an official Agricultural Commission, delegates from which, along with specialists, form a supreme council of agriculture.

Of the total area in 1920, 2,945,104 hectares, 1,340,415 are under culti- vation, 519,781 under forest, 107,977 fallow or uncultivated, the rest roads, marshes, rivers, &c.

The following figures show the yield of the chief crops for three years : —

Crop

Wheat.

Barley.

Oats

Rye

Potatoes.

Beet (sugar).

Tobacco.

Acreage

1912

396,499 84,279 047,612 650,077 387,009 152,851

1913 1919

Produce in cwts.

1912

1913

398,735 85,082 679,235 648,727 379,677 131,047

346.685 79,315 567,573 529,513 392,633 107,235

8,219,836 1,822,041 10,021,930 10,653,382 3,306,203 i 1,702,535 l

9,922 10,005 ! 17,278 I 197,352

8,089,010 1,886,166 13,921,800 11,411,898 3,200,9321 1,391,9171 178,788

1919

313,298

i Tons.

On December 31, 1920, there were 198,154 horses, 1,292,271 horned cattle, 545,774 pigs, 126,202 sheep, and 3,839,853 fowls.

II. Mining and Metals and other Industries.

Of the more important industries the following may be mentioned ; artificial silk, motorcars, glass, iron and steel, lace (particularly hnnd-maile lace), linen, and gloves.

755 quarries in 1919, workmen 14,909, value of products 58,504,450 francs, value (in francs) in 1914, 45,556,900 ; in 1915, 12,073,900 ; in 1916, 19,487,150; in 1917, 10,313,100; in 1918, 10,824,300; workmen engaged in metallic mines (1919) 44 ; iron ore produced in 1900, 247,890 tons, valued at 1,320,100 francs; in 1914, 82,360 tons, value 398,900 francs; in 1915,