Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol4, 1920.pdf/286
“If the crops yield the harvest, which is now so promising, your land (Czechoslovakia) will have a tremendous future influeence.” (From a private letter). The department of agriculture issued a statement summarizing the condition of the crop of the country, in the course in which it said, “The rye sown last fall did not winter well in all instances. In some localities, from thirty to fifty per cent, of the planted fields had to be replowed and replanted with spring grain. At the present time the condition of the crops, as a whole, is highly satisfactory and very encouraging, thereby indicating a large harvest”.
The government of Netherlands loaned Czechoslovakia 5,000 tons of wheat in order to alleviate the existing food shortage. This commodity is to be returned about August 1st, when the usual Czechoslovak crops are harvested.
The “Commission for the Purchase of Fats” decided to buy such quantities of fats as will meet the demands of the small dealers and jobbers and to permit the large concerns to secure their supplies.
The farmers have been offered the services of former Ukrainian soldiers, now in concentration camps. They are experienced agricultural laborers and are anxious to help farmers to cultivate and harvest their crops. In return they demand sanitary lodgings, good board and sufficient wages.
The Minister of Railways is negotiating for the purchase, in America, of 8,000 narrow gauge freight cars. While Czechoslovakia is turning out large numbers of cars, the supply does not meet the demand, therefore if the pending deal is consummated it will go a long way to solving the transportation problems of the Republic.
Sugar beets are in a splendid condition in all three provinces—Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia. Unless the Teschen question is solved before the harvest time, production of sugar from the beets will be greatly delayed and partially lost because of the lack of fuel. The fuel situation is again brought to the front through the approaching thrashing season. Crude oil can be obtained in Roumania but it cannot be transported, because there are no tank cars and no tankers on the Danube. To relieve the immediate situation 300 cisterns of gasoline were purchased in Poland, 2,000 in Roumania and 1,000 in America. A good deal more will be required.
It is estimated that the area of the fields planted with sugar beet in 1920 covers 195,000 ha. (487,500 acres) as against 185,000 ha. (462.500 acres) in 1919. With the additional supply of fertilizers the indicated sugar crop is about 150,000 to 200,000 tons larger than the last.
Through the consolidation of a number of brick yards of Czechoslovakia one concern now has a yearly capacity of 60,000,000 bricks.
According to statistics, America imported 164,000 lbs. of Bohemian hops, which are valuet at 12.536,650 Cs. crowns.
An American in Prague, reading the announcements of the moving picture theatres of Czechoslovakia, would feel perfectly at home. Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Annette Kellerman, Pauline Fredericks, William Hart are as well known in Czechoslovakia as on roadway. Almost every American film company has a branch in Czechoslovakia. It is said that the animated pictures, such as Mutt & Jeff, are great favorites among the people.
The Slovak league of America, through Albert Mamatey, its president, has presented to the Slovak people a complete printing office, which is set up at Bratislava.
Scarcity of fuels (coal and gasoline) has caused the government to frame a budget