Antwerp is one of the largest, most modernly equipped and efficient ports in Europe. It is only a short distance across the English Channel, and is the head of 1,200 miles of canals in Belgium which connect with the canal systems of Holland, France and Germany. On the harbor alone over $100,000,000 has been spent and extensions are in progress which will cost $15,000,000 more.
For the prosperity of Belgium, Antwerp is many times more important than Brussels, the capital. While the country has an enormous amount of coal and many factories and other industries, these would be of little value without the imports which enter through Antwerp.
The city has about 360,000 inhabitants. Although located fifty-three miles inland on the Scheldt River, it has natural advantages for harbor purposes which have been recognized since the seventh century. Napoleon looked over the spot and started large harbor construction.
Ever since that time, according to popular belief, Antwerp has encouraged commerce. Over eighty different steamboat lines use the docks and quays. The passenger lines include boats to New York and Boston, New Orleans, London, Liverpool, Manchester, Grimsby, South American ports, Cuba, the Congo, East and South Africa and the far East.
In 1912 a total of 6,973 ocean-going vessels entered the port, and 41,000 other vessels.
Antwerp in 1870 ranked fifth in the ports of the world. Today it is believed to be second or third. Ten years ago the freight received from the inland was principally by the canals. Approximately 2,300,000 tons were received by rail and 5,500,000 tons by canal boats.
This ratio has not been maintained, but the canal traffic now is much larger than the rail tonnage. This gives an idea of the extensive use to which the European countries put their canals, and the reader may guess the value of the city at the head of the canal system to the Germans.
BLOODLESS CAPITULATION OF GHENT