Transportation in Europe.—The geographical distribution of facili ties for transportation in Europe is much like that of other activities. The facilities are best near the North Sea, and decline more or less regularly in all directions. The conditions that lead to a well-developed transportation system include: (1) an active, intelligent, and prosperous population, (2) gentle relief, (3) an extensive and well indented seacoast, and (4) an abundance of inland waterways. Such a system comprises: (1) roads for local traffic, (2) trolley and train lines for urban and subur ban intercourse and especially for people going to work, (3) railways for fast traffic over long distances, (4) inland waterways for slow, cheap, heavy traffic, and (5) harbors and ships for traffic with other countries.
Among the countries of the world few or none surpass the Nether lands in conditions that favor transportation, or have a finer transpor-1 tation system or a greater commerce in proportion to the population. Its 2400 miles of railway give the Netherlands a larger mileage in pro portion to its area (192 miles per 1000 square miles of area) than 014 of any country in the world except England (282), Belgium (255), and Switzerland (228), although parts of countries, for example Massa chusetts, surpass it. In addition, the Netherlands has a nearly equal length of canals (2000 miles), and of light railways (1700 miles) cor responding to our trolley lines, and about 1150 miles of river water ways on the Rhine, Maas, Scheldt, and their tributaries. In tion it has a fine system of highways including about 3000 miles of state road. How it compares with other countries may be judged from the following table: In total mileage of transportation lines in proportion to the respect ive areas the Netherlands is surpassed by Ivlassachusetts and very slightly by Belgium. In proportion to the population the Netherlands is well ahead of Belgium, while the fact that waterways usually furnish a better means of communication than landways would put it practically on a par with Massachusetts which leads the United States in facilities for transportation, were it not for the far greater abundance of motor vehicles in the United States than in Europe.
The first and more important partof the preceding table illustrates the decline in transportation as one proceeds away from the Nether lands and Belgium. Toward the northwest, although England excels even Massachusetts in ordinary railways, it falls far behind the Low Countries in light street railways and in waterways. Scotland and Ireland both fall much lower. It should be noted, however, that in proportion to the population the transportation systems of the Nether lands and England are practically equal, while those of Ireland and Scotland both rank high. Toward the east (in Germany) all kinds of transportation fall behind Belgium and the Netherlands, although this is true chiefly of the eastern portions and not of the west where condi tions resemble those in the Low Countries. Farther east in Bulgaria, the railroads become of slight importance, there are practically no light railways, and the Danube is the only important waterway.
In other directions there is the same decline in transportation as one proceeds away from the Netherlands. In spite of local differences, waterways rapidly cease to be of importance, light railways such as o trolley lines almost disappear, while railways become scanty, although the change in them is not so rapid. The diminution in these types of transportation is accompanied by a decline in the character of the roads; and wagons take the place of motor vehicles. In large parts I of such countries as southern Spain, Sicily, Albania, and southeastern I Russia, the roads degenerate into mere trails, and both freight and passengers are often carried on the backs of horses and asses. North
ward the same transition is apparent, for in northern Norway carts give place to pack animals, and the Lapps carry their goods over faint trails upon the backs of reindeer, or in sledges over the snow.
The Distribution of Trade and discussion other types of activity, especially transportation, has already indicat how European trade and commerce are distributed. Unfortunatel statistics as to domestic trade are not available, while those for foreig commerce, as was pointed out in Chapter VII, create a wrong impres sion because small countries show a greater per capita trade than large countries of equal activity. Nevertheless, it is worth while to study Fig. 30 showing the per capita foreign commerce of different parts of Europe. In a general way it resembles the maps of transportation, manufacturing, and health. It is difficult to say whether commerce causes the development of transportation facilities, or whether the facilities cause commerce. When active people wish to carry on commerce, they improve the transportation facilities, and take advan tage of easily traversed plains, low passes in the mountains, and rivers that can be made navigable. But as soon as a road, a railway, a canal, or a harbor is built or improved, it at once stimulates commerce and that creates a demand for still better means of transportation. In the last analysis both transportation systems and commerce are results of human activity. In Switzerland, for example, the construction of railways is more difficult than in almost any other country of Europe, but Switzerland has more railways per square mile than any other countries except England and Belgium, and four of its tunnels through the Alps are among the masterpieces of engineering. The reason is that the Swiss are highly capable and their rough country lies between the active people of France, Germany, and the North Sea regions on the one side, and the active people of North Italy and the whole rich Medi terranean region on the other side. Hence railway construction has been about a hundred times as active both in proportion to the area and to the population as in the level and easily traversed plains of southeastern and northeastern Russia.
IP Another illustration of the way in which the people count for more than the natural resources is shown in the value of Rus sia's pre-war trade with a million people in each of the other countries of Europe. Germany and Austria have a large Russian trade because they are Russia's near neighbors. But Rumania, Bul garia, Greece, and old Turkey stand low even though they are near neighbors and are reached by easy ocean transport. They are much exceeded not only by Denmark, England, Belgium, and the Nether lands, which have easy oceanic connection with Russia, but also by landlocked Switzerland. This means that the impulse toward trade comes largely from the active countries. They want the wheat, flax, manganese, petroleum, wood, and other products which Russia can furnish. They also want to sell their cloth, knives, machines, and manufactured ornaments. Hence they start trade and keep it up, by educating the less active people to want the goods that are brought them and to produce the things that the manufacturers want. If this great principle is grasped it helps to explain the commerce of any two countries no matter where they may be located. The exact details of the articles that pass between the two can be remembered only by the special ist, hut the general nature of the commerce can be known by everyone.