GERMANY 1013 



in 1911 was 40,000; the expenditure 70,000. There is a native police force of about 600 

 men. From January 18, 1910 the seat of government has been established at Rabaul. 

 Knowledge of the interior of Kaiser Wilhelms Land has recently been greatly extended by 

 the work of the German-Dutch boundary commission, which navigated the Kaiserin Augusta 

 river for 600 miles up stream. 



Samoa. The German portion of Samoa has an area of i,ooo sq. miles, with a total popu- 

 lation estimated at 37,500, whites numbering 490 in 1911. Here cocoa plantations have 

 been considerably extended, the number of plants being estimated at 1,250,000, and the 

 export of cocoa was valued at 28,000 in 1910 out of a total export trade valued at 180,000. 

 Imports were valued at 170,000. Revenue in 1912 was estimated at 40,000 and expendi- 

 ture at 50,000. 



The Caroline, Pelew, Marianne and Marshall Islands have a total land area of 960 sq- 

 miles, and a population estimated at 55,300, whites numbering 320 in 1911. Plantations 

 are devoted almost wholly to the coco-nut palm, except in the Eastern Carolines, where 

 small quantities of Manila hemp, rubber and manihot are raised. In the Marshall and 

 Caroline Islands, however, a new export trade of considerable promise is developing in 

 phosphates, which were valued at 470,000 in 1910 out of a total value of exports of 550,000. 

 Imports were valued at 120,000. Revenue (19^1) 25,000; expenditure 35,000. The 

 islands are under the governor at Rabaul (New Guinea). A somewhat serious native rising 

 in Ponape which began on October 18, 1910 was only quelled in February 1911 by the 

 dispatch of a naval force. 



Kiaochow (China), with an area of 213 sq. miles, has a population estimated at 169,000, 

 including 3,896 whites in 1911. The town of Tsingtau has a population of 34,000 Chinese 

 and 1,621 Europeans, and rose from the eighteenth place among Chinese free ports in 1904 

 to the sixth in 1910. The chief article of export is straw-braid (value 670,000 in 1911, when 

 the total exports were valued at 3,000,000). The value of imports (cotton goods and 

 yarn, paper, &c.) was 3,500,000. Ships visiting the port in 1911 numbered 555 of a total 

 tonnage of 830,000, including 176 British (270,000 tons). The Shantung railway carried 

 900,000 passengers and 700,000 tons of goods in 1911. Estimated revenue (1912) 310,000; 

 expenditure 730,000. There are a German military force of 2,391 men and a mainly 

 native police force of no. Among educational institutions may be mentioned the German- 

 Chinese high school opened on October 25, 1909. (L, MECKING.) 



Political History. 



The appointment, on July 14, 1909, of Herr von Bethmann-Hollweg as Imperial 

 Chancellor in succession to Prince Billow was but a change of politicians. The old 



questions continued to occupy public attention, and the method adopted 

 chancellor, f r their solution stirred up much popular dissatisfaction. The main 



issues were those of finance. A deficit of 2,000 million marks (100 millions 

 sterling) was anticipated for the four years 1909 to 1913, and ways and means had to 

 be devised to raise a silm of some 500 million marks (25 millions sterling) each year, 

 Biilow suggested a scheme of taxation which while taxing articles of consumption in- 

 cluded death duties. 1 But death duties were bitterly opposed by the Conservative 

 party as " striking at the root of the family," and since the Liberals were very 



much in favour of the proposed scheme, the working agreement between 



* ne ^ wo came to an end. Billow had maintained his position by their 

 1909. united support; he was therefore forced to resign as a consequence of the 



breach. The entire blame Biilow himself laid at the door of the Conserva- 

 tive party. But while the Conservatives got their way, ' in the amended estimate 

 the property tax found no place, the bill could be carried only with the aid of the 

 Centre. There was a good deal of truth therefore in Billow's view that one result 

 of the crisis was to make the Centre party again the most influential group in the 

 Reichstag, a position from which it had been dislodged in 1906. 



One other result became apparent there was general discontent all over the 

 country. The middle classes were particularly dissatisfied that the burden of taxation 



1 Billow's scheme for raising the 25,000,000 required was by (a) increased matricular 

 contributions of each state to the extent of 80 Pf. per head of the population, 2,400,000; 

 (b) death duties, 4,600,000; (c) taxes on spirits, beer, wine, tobacco and advertisements, 

 18,000,000. The scheme as adopted provided (a) duties on spirits, beer, tobacco, sparkling 

 wines, 11,400,000; (b) stamp duties, 5,475,000; (c) taxes on coffee, tea and lighting appli- 

 ances, 4,100,000; (d) taxes on sugar and railway tickets, 4,025,000. 



