PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2370, 3 August 1899, Page 58

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

THE STRUGGLE FOR COLONIAL EMPIRE. The civilised nations of the world have entered upon a contest for financial and comnftercial supremacy, and upon, a grander scale than the world has hitherto seen. The struggle to» is upon a field which embraces not only what we deem the uncivilised races, bufc also nations which in the past have attained a high position. This terrific struggle really commenced with the introduction of machinery. Previously, nations were largely self-contained ; but a new departure was made when Britain, with her fast multiplying machinery, commenced to manufacture a surplus and to mass capital. With the machinery she supplied foreign markets, and her surplus capital she loaned o\it, thus becoming the world's money-lender and producer. . According to a well-written article in one of the Reviews, the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1 marked a departure. The exhibition of 1851 had opened the eyes of the British artisan to the advances that had oeen made on the. Continent ; but for i/he next 20 years or so, no Continental nation seemed to have been able to do much beyond supplying domestic wants. But at the conclusion of the Franco-German war the Germans found themselves in possession of a two hundred millions indem nity, and with a portion of it they commenced seriously to develop an export trade and to compete with Great Britain for the commerce of foreign markets. A comparison of figures showing Germany's exports 20 years ago and now with Britain's figures for the same time will show Britain's trade 'to be still very far ahead of Germany's, but it will also be seen that Germany - has increased her export in a very much preater ratio. And tlie same applies to shipping. Then France followed suit ; and Holland with her valuable East Indian possessions, while pei'haps not increasing much, has well held her own. But there are three other competitors — Ru>sia, Japan, and the United States. We must, however, distinguish between nations who are money-lenders and those competing for commercial advantages. France, Germany, and the United Slates are lining up with Britain in both commerce and loaning money ; but Russia and Japan have not got beyond the developing process, and have to rely upon loans to open up their Empires. Then there is another phase to observe. As nations detei mined to enter the contest for the world's markets, they first encouraged their own industries and discouraged the importation of foreign products by putting on protective duties, and in some cases by giving bounties, beet sugar being a notable instance of a bounty-fed industry. But protective policies caused an abnormal increase in output, and foreign markets were eagerly sought for. Then came another phase of industrial development, someiiunsr analagous to what happened in the sixteenth century. In the open markets of uncivilised or decadent nations, it was found that Great Britain still monopolised the lion* share of money -lending, commerce, and shipping. To check the growth of Great Britain a general scramble iQDk place for what we call the uncivilised parts of the earth's .surface. Africa was parcelled out, and Asia cut into sections ; and what France, Germany, and Russia have established a right to, they have practically closed to British trade, keeping their possessions for their surplus capital and manufactures, and using them to supply raw products. But in this scramble the United States took no part. Suddenly, ' however, the Americans entered upon a policy of expansion, and now own colonial possessions in both hemispheres. Nor are they going to stop. A canal will soon cut Central America in two, and the United States has already expressed her resolve to maintain American supremacy in Central American waters ; and that" means the growth of a navy. And it means more. The Americans, who have, as a developing nation, been pursuing a protective policy, see that this protective policy, when adopted by others, is going to be used against them ; hence the uneasiness they show at Russia, Germany, and France grasping territories in the Far East. What will the outcome probably be? An alliance between Great Britain raid the United States to insist on che 'open-door' 1 policy? The States are our greatest competitors, and we have most in common. And will Japan, who has been robbed of the fruit oi her successful war, :cine In and so form a Triple Alliance ? In reference to ;olonial expansion, a .Frenchman has published an alarmist article, in which he gives the colonial poscessionc of the five countries leading in After a long ride < • fatigue of any sort, nothing tones up the 5., .. dm so quickly as Liebig Company's Extract. Its effect is more lasting than alcohol*.

! colonial possessions. Perhaps the figures | he gives will interest you :

i These figures, of course, show only in ' a very general way the relative positions of the colonial possessions of the nations mentioned. We must, to rightly appreciate the value of the possessions, know 'what development is possible in them ; the value of the land, accessibility or inaccessibility to trade and commerce, and so on. But the figures show us enough to let U3 see with the aid of a map that Great Britain certainly has the genius for colonisation, and we know that all things being equal Britain can generally hold her own. ! Another Frenchman has compiled Avhat, from a Frenchman's point of view, is an equally alarming table, and even more instructive to the French and to ourselves, for it shows how certainly, in the Battle of Tongues, France is falling to the rear. Here is his table : — •

\ The writer also says that at the end ' of last century the six'great language hosts j of Europe were in the following order: — j French and Russian in the van, and about 1 equal ; Germany* following closely after ; 1 then Spanish, English, and Italian: now ' the order is, Great Britain as above ; Rmspla with an increase from 31 to 85 millions ; next the German, numbering 8-i millions ; next the French as above"; then the Spanj ish and Italians. j The figures are certainly instructive. The i author says in effect that they are the ; epitome of the history of the Western ! humanity i'or five centuries. It so the ' outlook 'for Fiance is pretty blue in spite j of her heavy armaments on land and sea. I Mr Carnac says very picturesquely that the | bayonets of Wellington and the cannon of I Nelson gave the signal and the word for ' the «tart which has resulted in such a hollow win tor C-uear, .Britain. It must have been very humiliating for a Frenchman to acknowledge that ! And the sha : clow of ITashoda still resting upon France !

Country. Great Briiain ... France Germany Holland Spain and Portugal... 16,662,000 332,000,000 2,505,000 50,000,000 1,6115,000 7,450,080 783,000 34 210,000 809,000 10.215,000

Century. Fifteenth Sixteenth Seventeenth Eighteenth jtfinetetftth Century. Speaking Eng- 1 lish. i 4,000,000 ! (under) 6,000.000 i 8,tOO,( 03 21,000,000 H6,00\000 Spsakiug french. 10,000,000 14.00r,0G« 20,000,0*0 31,000,000 5. ',000,000