Independent Bohemia - An Account of the Czecho-Slovak Struggle for Liberty by Vladimír Nosek
page 160 of 185 (86%)
page 160 of 185 (86%)
![]() | ![]() |
|
there being salt. Bohemia produces 60 per cent. of Austria's iron and 83
per cent. (26 million tons) of her coal. As regards trade, almost all the business between Bohemia and Western Europe has always passed through Vienna, which of course greatly profited thereby. This will cease when Bohemia becomes independent. Two-thirds of the total Austrian exports, the value of which was over L63,000,000 in 1912, come from the Bohemian lands. To England alone Austria exported L9,000,000 worth of Bohemian sugar annually. Bohemian beer, malt and hops were exported especially to France, textiles and machines to Italy. On the other hand, Germany and German-Austria imported from the Bohemian lands especially agricultural products (butter, eggs, cheese, cereals, fruit), also coal and wood manufactures. In 1905 Austria exported 425,000 metric tons of wheat and 186,000 metric tons of malt, which were mostly produced in Bohemia. The export of Bohemian beer brings Austria 15,000,000 kronen annually (L625,000), of malt 55,000,000 kronen (L2,290,000). The Bohemian lands further export 130,000,000 kronen (L5,430,000) worth of textiles annually. The Austrian import trade is also largely dependent on Bohemia. All French articles bought by Bohemia come through Vienna, two-thirds of the whole French export being destined for that country. As regards England, in 1914 L2,676,000 worth of goods were exported to Austria-Hungary, the greater part of which again was destined for Bohemia, the chief articles being printing and agricultural machines and textile manufactures. England will after the war find a good market in Bohemia, and valuable assistants in Czech banks and business men in the economic competition against the Germans in the Near East, since the Czechs |
|