WORLD'S WAR FOR TRADE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 71, 25 March 1907, Page 3

WORLD'S WAR FOR TRADE.

"Last century saw great conflicts for territory; the present century will witness a bitter and gigantic international trade war between England, France, Germany, and the ; United States for the markets of the world. God grant that it may be bloodless, but it will be ju •; as intense and as hostile as any that has gone before."

This was the keynote of the speech delivered by Mr Shaw, the Secretary to the Treasury to 700 Harvard students at Cambridge, Massachusetts, recently. H.e was advocating the need of the United States for a strong mercantile marine which would enable the States to develop the exports of their products and manufactures.

" Englan-d, Germany and France," ha said, "are hunting the world *or markets for 25 per cent of their 'manufactures.' We manufacture as much as these countries combined, but consume 95 per cent, of our products ourselves, and only need markets for 5 per cent.

'•'But it will not be long before we nepd more. If you boys think you are going to live as long as I have, and still find the nation producing no more surplus products than it is to-day, you are mistaken.

"Look,at the great markets of the world and look at the comparatively small part we take in their trade. South Africa offers a market for £130,----000,000 worth of products, but we only supply 12 per cent. The import's of the Orient.are valued at £200,000,000, but we only furnish 10 per cent, of this.

" I want the percentage raised. We must get that international trade. Why, even in South America, the United States are scarcely heard of as a commercial country. " It is not only for our trade that we need a great mercantile marine. Without it, without vessels usable as transports and colliers, our navy would be handicapped to a very dangerous extent in the event of a great war."