no POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The drawback to this table is that it is one of values. Con- 

 sequently the increase of values in the later years may in part be 

 one of values only without corresponding increase of quantities. 

 But the general course of prices in the period in question was not 

 such as to cause a great change of values apart from a change in 

 quantities. The inference seems undeniable, then, that the Conti- 

 nental countries named, especially Germany, have largely increased 

 their imports of food and raw materials of recent years — that is, 

 have become increasingly dependent on foreign and over-sea sup- 

 plies. The position of Germany, with its enormous increase of food 

 imports — from 907 to 1,819 million Marks, or from 45 to over 90 

 million sterling, and its corresponding increase of raw material im- 

 ports — from 1,507 to 2,247 million Marks, or from 75 to 112 million 

 sterling — is especially remarkable. 



An examination in detail of the quantities imported of particular 

 articles would fully confirm the impression given by the summary 

 5gures. But it may be enough to refer to the 'Statistical Abstract' from 

 which I have been quoting, as well as to Mr. Crawford's paper. The 

 iigures are not out of the way in any respect, and it is the idea we have 

 now to get hold of. 



The inference is that the difference between the United Kingdom 

 and Continental countries, especially Germany, as regards dependence on 

 foreign supplies of food and raw materials, is only one of degree, and 

 that as regards Germany at least, the conditions are already remarkably 

 like those of the United Kingdom, while the more rapidly Germany in- 

 creases its manufacturing and industrial population, the more like it 

 will become to this country. In other words, in the future there will 

 be two great countries, and not one only, dependent largely for their 

 food and raw materials on supplies from abroad. What their position 

 is to be economically and otherwise relatively to the United States, 

 which is at once the main source of supply and a competitor with Eu- 

 ropean countries in manufactures, is obviously a matter of no little in- 

 terest. As a believer in free trade, I am sure that nothing but good 

 will come to all the countries concerned if trade is interfered with as 

 little as possible by tariffs and government regulations. I believe, 

 moreover, that the practice of free trade, whatever their theories may 

 be, will unavoidably be accepted by all three countries before long. 

 Obviously, however, as the new tariff in Germany indicates, there is to 

 be a great struggle in that country before the situation is accepted ; and 

 if some people in this country had their way, notwithstanding our long 

 experience of free trade and its blessings, we should even have a strug- 

 gle here. 



There is another point of view from which the facts should be 

 studied. We are accustomed, and rightly so, I think, to consider naval 



