132 BRITAIN FOR THE BRITON 



The export figures are as follows : — 



Germanv. . . . 140,478,000 102,581,000 160,805,000 +14 



Belgium' .... 47,378,000 51,846,000 50,507,000 + 6 



France .... 100,957,000 111,325,000 104,327,000 + 4 



United States . . 175,967,000 192,833,000 180,153,000 + 3 



United Kingdom 180,594,000 206,317,000 189,993,000 + 5 



That paper commeuting on these figures, has the following : — 



" Britain Leading 

 oversea trade comparisons for present year 

 returns op five nations " 



" The oversea trading of the great commercial nations of the 

 world during the last six months is the subject of a series of 

 summary tables issued by the Board of Trade. 



" A comparison of the total ligures is possible in the case of five 

 countries ; and it shows that, except in the case of the imports of 

 the United States, which is feeling the prevailing depression very 

 severely, the trade of these nations was higher iti 1908 than in 1906, 

 but lower than last year, when the boom culminated. The following 

 is the comparison of the imports extending over the first six months 

 of each of the last three years : — 



" It should be noted that the returns referring to Germany, 

 which are provided by the Imperial Statistical Department, are only 

 estimated. They are accurate as to quantities, but estimated as to 

 values. 



" Britain is still first, far in front of any other country, and well 

 ahead of her own record in 1906." 



Two notable features are distinguishable here, namely, how 

 prone Free-traders are to catch at any straw that may, per- 

 chance, support a sinking cause, and the careful suppression 

 of the significant fact that the small increase of our import and 

 export trade has been exceeded by^ some of our foreign com- 

 petitors who are not Free-traders. It will, moreover, be dis- 

 covered, by those who take the trouble to look into the matter, 

 that British trade ten years ago was, in comparison with that 

 of other competing nations, much greater proportionately than 

 it is to-day ; while thirty, and forty years ago the proportion in 

 favour of great Britain was even greater. 



As a matter of fact — we have fallen behind every one of our 

 great competitors in the PROPOPuTIONAL exjjansion of both our 

 import and export trade ; ample proof of which will be found in 

 other chapters. 



These facts reveal a grave position, and they are far too 

 important and too solemn to become the sport of every 

 political writer who juggles with them in a manner to serve 



