Part 7

Fifty years have elapsed since the adoption of free trade by England. It was hoped that the free entrance of commodities extended to all the world would pave the way to an era of mutual peace and good will. But, judging by the political situation, and taking the armaments as an outward sign of good intentions, the era of peace and good will among nations is certainly far off. To get a trading advantage here and a concession from a semibarbarous country there is still the ambitious striving of the cabinets and the diplomacy of Europe. To give the striving emphasis, industry is taxed to the breaking point and labor to the starving point. Russia exhausts her resources in a railroad through the Siberian waste in her endeavor to obtain an outlet to the sea, which is jealously closed to her at the southwestern end of her dominions by England. The trader of Manchester, fearing for his markets, grows frantic at the prospect of Russian cotton goods being brought to China or to India. The mere acquisition of a port in Manchuria by Russia threatens to seal his doom. But he might look on with complacency. Russia's labor is very dear, capital is dear, wages are on the Asiatic level, famine still stalks through the land, intercommunication is made difficult by the lack of roads, and her wonderful natural resources lie unimproved because the eyes of greed, like those of the dog crossing the stream, are turned on the coveted piece of meat he sees reflected in the water, and to grasp which he drops the one he holds in his mouth. France bristles with bayonets, and is constantly at pains to increase her naval armaments, about whose seaworthiness her own minister of marine expresses suspicions, in obedience to a nervous restlessness for foreign acquisition. England, after her feat in civilizing savages and barbarians in the customary fashion, shown again at Omdurman, is ready to turn her war dogs on France, because the latter has the temerity to demand a slice of Soudanese territory. Well might she have given as hush-money, or for the mere grace of the action, a few thousand square miles of a country closed to access except by the permission of Great Britain, which has successfully pre-empted every desirable bit of land in sight.

Germany, instead of using her newly liberated energies at home in an endeavor to elevate the miserable condition of her working classes, taxes their bread and meat, never too freely supplied, to increase the size of her armies and the number of her battle ships. The defense and expansion of her colonial empire is her leading thought. A strange paradox: The workingman and the peasant are overburdened with taxes on the necessaries of life, so as to procure markets for a limited quantity of factory products outside of the field secured in open competition.

While professing friendship and brotherly love, they all have their eyes on their neighbor's throat, fearful only lest the other might clutch first.

As we are in danger of being drawn into this vortex, it is well to examine the range of possibilities and see what the trade amounts to, to obtain which the scientific intellect of Europe and America has been strained to its limits to discover new means of destruction for attack and defense unknown to the other brothers in the common bond of civilization.

It is a matter of course that trade among European nations does not come within this circle, nor of European nations with the United States. It does not depend on battle ships. In the annexed tables I have classified the countries in three classes: (1) Independent states; (2) colonies of European countries, populated by people of European stock; and (3) colonies and dependencies of European countries, but of non-European stock.

I have reduced the values of imports and exports of the different countries, published in their own currencies, to American dollars. As the values are paper currencies, silver currencies, or conventional values, and of fluctuating rates, I have in such instances taken a yearly average, which will be found in the footnotes of the tables.

_I. Trade of Independent Countries other than of Europe and North America._

Key: (A) Number of inhabitants. (B) Importations. Thousands of dollars. (C) Exportations. Thousands of dollars. (D) Imports per capita. Dollars. (E) Exports per capita. Dollars.

+---------+---------+---------+-------+------ NAMES OF COUNTRIES. | (A) | (B) | (C) | (D) | (E) ---------------------------+---------+---------+---------+-------+------ _Asia_ (1895). | | | | | | | | | | China[A] | 383,253 | 128,772 | 107,499 | .34 | .28 Japan[B] | 42,270 | 90,681 | 62,443 | 2.14 | 1.47 All other states | 27,000 | 30,000 | 82,000 | 1.10 | 1.18 | | | | | _America._ | | | | | | | | | | Argentina[C] | 4,000 | 103,058 | 108,671 | 26.50 | 27.17 Brazil[D] | 16,000 | 96,000 | 97,000 | 6.00 | 6.06 Chile[E] | 2,700 | 69,200 | 72,900 | 25.62 | 27.00 Peru[F] | 2,600 | 7,560 | 9,000 | 2.90 | 3.30 Mexico[G] | 12,600 | 42,000 | 22,000 | 3.32 | 1.76 Uruguay[H] | 800 | 25,000 | 30,000 | 31.25 | 37.50 Venezuela[I] | 2,300 | 17,000 | 22,000 | 7.40 | 9.56 All other states | 11,300 | 34,000 | 46,800 | 3.00 | 4.14 | | | | | _South Africa_ | | | | | | | | | | Independent states | 1,000 | 75,000 | 12,000 | 75.00 | 12.00 +---------+---------+---------+ | Total independent states | 505,800 | 718,271 | 622,313 | | +=========+=========+=========+ | Asiatic states | 452,500 | 249,453 | 201,942 | | American and South African | 53,300 | 468,818 | 420,371 | | ---------------------------+---------+---------+---------+-------+------

FOOTNOTES:

[A] Haikwan tael, 74.9 cents.

[B] Yen, 52.9 cents.

[C] Peso, gold, 96.5 cents.

[D] Milreis, paper (1896), 20-1/2 cents.

[E] Peso, gold.

[F] Soler, 43 cents.

[G] Dollar (47 cents) for exports, gold dollar for imports.

[H] Peso, $1.

[I] Bolivar, 19.3 cents.

The year is 1896, and where a different one is taken it is so marked against the country in the table. The figures only represent the direct merchandise trade. All specie and bullion shipments are eliminated from the account.

_II. Trade of India and Dependencies and of Colonies and other Possessions of the United Kingdom (Year ending March, 1897)._

Key: (A) Number of inhabitants. (B) Importations. Thousands of dollars. (C) Exportations. Thousands of dollars. (D) Imports per capita. Dollars. (E) Exports per capita. Dollars.

+---------+---------+---------+-------+------ NAMES OF COLONIES AND | | | | | OTHER POSSESSIONS. | (A) | (B) | (C) | (D) | (E) ---------------------------+---------+---------+---------+-------+------ India and its | | | | | dependencies[A] | 290,690 | 284,026 | 378,732 | .97 | 1.30 | | | | | _Colonies._ | | | | | | | | | | Cape Colony | 1,820 | 91,800 | 39,000 | 50.04 | 20.15 Natal | 778 | 18,000 | 6,500 | 23.15 | 8.20 Gold Coast and other | | | | | Central African | | | | | possessions | 36,700 | 19,000 | 17,000 | .52 | .46 Canada | 5,125 | 118,000 | 121,000 | 23.05 | 24.04 West Indies | 3,614 | 30,000 | 25,000 | 8.33 | 6.94 Australasia and Oceanica | 4,793 | 204,500 | 210,000 | 42.65 | 43.75 +---------+---------+---------+ | Trade of all countries | | | | | under British flag | 343,520 | 765,326 | 797,232 | | +=========+=========+=========+ | Trade of colonies with | | | | | white population | 16,130 | 461,320 | 411,584 | | Trade of Asiatic | | | | | dependencies | 290,690 | 284,026 | 378,732 | | ---------------------------+---------+---------+---------+-------+------

FOOTNOTE:

[A] Rupee, 32 cents. For Straits Settlement and Ceylon, Mexican dollars @ 47 cents.

_III. Trade of Foreign Possessions of all other Countries than the United Kingdom._

Key: (A) Number of inhabitants in thousands. (B) Importations in thousands of dollars. (C) Exportations in thousands of dollars. (D) Imports per capita. Dollars. (E) Exports per capita. Dollars. ------------------------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------- COUNTRIES AND THEIR | (A) | (B) | (C) | (D) | (E) COLONIAL POSSESSIONS. | | | | | ------------------------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------- _A. France_ (1894). | | | | | | | | | | Asia | 21,821 | 16,000 | 25,000 | .73 | 1.14 Africa, outside of | | | | | Algeria and Tunis | 24,500 | 13,000 | 22,000 | .53 | .50 America and Oceanica | 460 | 14,500 | 12,600 | 31.50 | 27.40 | | | | | _B. Germany_ (1897). | | | | | | | | | | Africa | 10,200 | 2,189 | 1,078 | .21 | .10 New Guinea | 400 | 72 | 50 | .18 | .12 | | | | | _C. Italy._ | | | | | | | | | | Africa | 400 | 5,600 | 3,000 | | | | | | | _D. Netherlands_ (1895).| | | | | | | | | | East India | 34,000 | 61,000 | 89,600 | 1.80 | 2.63 | | | | | _E._ | | | | | | | | | | Philippines | 7,600 | 11,000 | 20,000 | 1.50 | 2.63 ------------------------+--------+--------+--------+-------+-------

_Summary of Statistical Tables of the Trade of Colonies and Dependencies of European States and of Independent States other than of Europe and the United States._

Key: (A) Number of inhabitants in thousands. (B) Importations. Thousands of dollars. (C) Exportations. Thousands of dollars. (D) Inhabitants. Per cent to total. (E) Imports. Per cent to total. (F) Exports. Per cent to total. ----------------------+----------+---------+---------+-----+-----+----- NAMES OF DIVISIONS BY | | | | | | COUNTRIES, COLONIES, | (A) | (B) | (C) | (D) | (E) | (F) AND RACES. | | | | | | ----------------------+----------+---------+---------+-----+-----+----- Totals of tabulations | | | | | | I, II, and III |1,584,099 |1,587,758|1,540,858|100 |100 |100.0 | | | | | | Under British flag | 343,520 | 765,320| 797,232| 36 | 48.3| 50.0 | | | | | | Under all other flags | 605,180 | 818,779| 790,527| 64 | 51.7| 49.8 | | | | | | Peoples of European | | | | | | descent | 69,430 | 909,020| 831,984| 7.3| 57.4| 52.4 | | | | | | Peoples of other races| 879,271 | 675,079| 755,774| 92.7| 42.6| 47.6 | | | | | | Anglo-Saxon | 17,130 | 519,300| 407,584| 1.8| 32.8| 25.7 | | | | | | Latin-American | 52,300 | 389,700| 424,400| 5.5| 24.6| 26.7 | | | | | | Asiatic races | 806,611 | 618,079| 706,274| 85.0| 39.0| 44.0 | | | | | | African races | 72,500 | 57,000| 49,500| 7.7| 3.6| 3.6 | | | | | | States and colonies, | | | | | | wool chief export | 11,100 | 441,300| 394,500| 1.2| 27.8| 24.9 ----------------------+----------+---------+---------+-----+-----+-----

In examining these tables carefully the reader can form an idea as to how the world's trade is divided, and see what the world is arming to its teeth about.

The only Asiatic country about whose trade the possibilities of war may be entertained is China. Japan has shown her teeth and claws. The history of Poland, Port Arthur, or Kiao-tchow is not likely to find repetition on her territory. Only the defenseless tempt the avidity of the civilizing nations. The import trade of China, an empire with one fourth the population of the entire world, is but half as much again as that of Japan, with but one ninth of the population of the Celestial Empire. Japan's trade has trebled within the last dozen years. Her imports of merchandise are over two dollars _per capita_. Those of China are thirty-four cents. It will be said that China parceled out to modern nations will vastly extend in trading opportunities. So it may. We have, however, national disposition to take into consideration. England has devoted her best efforts to India. After a century spent in bringing the various races to submission, the process of "benevolent assimilation" is helped along by a never-ending flow of capital from England. She has become the teacher and administrator of the people of Hither and Farther India. It is doubtful whether under existing conditions any better government for their three hundred millions could be devised by any outer force. Though England does her utmost, as she understands it, to make the people under her dominion happy and prosperous, although the rule of law and a degree of local independence are established, yet she finds small thanks from her wards. They have their own notions of happiness, and seem to prefer misery of their selection to the advantages of the white man's ordering. The fact is, the brown man and the yellow man have different notions and desires from the white man. No amount of jostling, pushing, and urging will make them take up our views, our tastes, our working methods, except in the due development of time. Our ideas as to necessaries of life and theirs are widely different. Their simple needs are easily supplied from native hands, who understand far better than our potters do the clay they have to deal with. The progress in trade will not be rapid, and will certainly be disappointing to those who expect to see it extend into general lines of merchandise. The import trade of India and its dependencies (1897) is $284,000,000, inclusive of Ceylon and the net trade of the Straits Settlements. This amount, directly catering to the wants of fully three hundred millions of people, is but about one third more than the net import trade of Australasia, with a population of less than five millions of people. The _per-capita_ consumption of imported merchandise of the Asiatic possessions of England is ninety-seven cents; of Australasia, $41.66. I must say here in explanation that the values of importations of merchandise, as published in the English returns and lately reproduced by the Bureau of Statistics of the Treasury Department, Colonial Systems of the World, is $305,000,000, which would make a showing of $63.33 _per capita_. But in the English returns the intercolonial trade figures are included. The Treasury Bureau did not mention this in its publication, and gave thereby a basis for erroneous deductions. I have deducted all the intercolonial trade figures of imports and exports from the returns of each of the Australian colonies, so as to bring the figures to a basis of parity with the accounts of Canada, and other colonies and dependencies where no duplications of this kind are possible. The figures of importations remaining over are reduced by this process to £40,500,000, or about $200,000,000--$41.66 _per capita_. The inhabitants of the Anglo-Saxon colonies of the world number but seventeen million. Their net imports of merchandise are $460,000,000. The seven hundred and thirty millions of Hindu and Mongolian populations import $530,000,000. These are the lands of fabled wealth. Antiquity and the middle ages dreamed of riches inexhaustible in connection with their names. To-day still the popular belief is that the wealth of nations is dependent on the conduct of direct trade with the far East. The country can not be rich whose millions find happiness in a sufficient supply of millet or rice, whatever the wealth of a small favored class may be. But these nations were the teachers of the barbarians whose descendants now populate America and Europe. The disciples have improved on the masters. We have improved the tools which they invented and applied new forces of production. We have cheapened the processes of production. We have quintupled, we have decupled time. But whatever our improvements in the tools, they are still our masters in the work. Any one who would endeavor to substitute the product of our mills in cotton, in silk, in wool, in wood, iron, clay, in lacquer, cloisonné, or enamel, for theirs, and not see at a glance the hopelessness, would indeed prove his incapacity for grasping the situation. Our best producers study with profit the work of China and, chiefly, of Japan, and are grateful for the inspiration they derive from it. But they do not attempt to copy. Neither in color effect nor design could they stand the test of comparison. Five thousand years have been recovered from the sepulcher under which they had been sleeping. But the oldest traces unearthed in the valley of the Euphrates still take us back to the farthest East as the originator of what we cover by the term "civilization." The Mongolian shares the lot of all who have benefited the race.

If we can not expect great openings for our mill products in Asia, Africa is a new field for the civilizing efforts of Europe, and will repay cultivating, perhaps. The negro has neither factories nor workshops. There at least is an unlimited field for trade expansion. Germany, the latest comer, with the zeal of all fresh missionaries, is eagerly taking up her colonizing mission. The result is not very encouraging. There is a fine set of buildings with garden spots and harbor improvements in the settlement at Cameroon, and a well-stocked graveyard of what were once good German boys, victims of the deadly climate and of the expansion fever. So far this is the only net showing to the credit side of the ledger. The territory in Africa covers nearly one million square miles. The possession of such an empire is worth a sacrifice, apparently, and Germany is not parsimonious in this direction. The contribution of the German Government to the administration fund of the African colonies was $2,194,000 in 1896-'97. This does not include the expense of maintaining the military and naval forces stationed in the African settlements. The annual importations of all the colonies amounted (in 1897) to $2,261,000, inclusive of New Guinea. So it costs the Government more than one dollar to enable its citizens to do a dollar's worth of trade. The population is estimated at 10,200,000. What possibilities stretch out before us, if they could be made to wear shirts or uniforms like the native police force, which has been organized at Cameroon! The extent of the territory, however, precludes the possibility of successfully conducting the missionary effort to induce them to wear clothes. The question also remains open what return could be made, even if the recipients could be brought to appreciate the advantage of a fuller covering of their nakedness than the traditional one.

France is in possession of territories in Africa, the population of which is on a more advanced status. The territories of the Senegal have been under French dominion for a period of two hundred years and more, and trade relations with the Senegal and Soudan have been assiduously cultivated. In Asia, Tonquin and Annam were to open the road to a very active trade with China. She has held undisputed lodgment since 1814 in Pondicherry and other towns in India that remained over to her from her East Indian empire conquered by Dupleix and abandoned by Louis XV's weak policy. Still, with all the tender care and an expenditure for the colonial service, as per budget of 1898, of about 80,000,000 francs, and not counting the colonial expense _êtat_ of the ministry of war and of the navy, the entire export trade of France to her Asiatic possessions is 35,000,000 francs; to her African dominions, outside of Algiers, 22,000,000 francs; and to her American possessions, with barely five hundred thousand inhabitants, 35,000,000 francs. The territories to which this trade caters have a population of about twenty-two million in Asia and twenty-five million in Africa. If we include the French islands in America and French Guiana, the exports of French merchandise to all her colonies amount to about 95,000,000 francs. If we include the allowance for colonial service from the naval and military budget, France has an expense that exceeds the amount of her colonial export trade. How much better off France would be if she would drop this burden! She could do the same trading and save her money, annually wasted, and her men annually slaughtered to the mania of colonial expansion.

The forty-five millions peopling the French possessions in Asia and tropical Africa consume altogether about $30,000,000 worth of foreign imports. The French share of this is about $11,000,000, or a little over one third--eleven millions of trade against fourteen millions of direct expense. The contributions to the American colonies are but $2,000,000, inclusive of about $1,000,000 to the penal establishment at Cayenne.