CHArTER XXX 



A BRIEF EXAMINATION OF FREE-TRADE PRINCIPLES 



{continued) — more concrete examples showing 



FREE-TRADE FALLACIES — THE RACE FOR THE WORLD's 

 TRADE — HOW BRITAIN IS BEING OUTDISTANCED 



One or two further moves in this interesting game Ijetween 

 Free-traders and those who are on the "other side" might 

 now be considered. 



In " The Free-trade Movement," pp. 205, 206, we find the 

 following passages : — 



" The advance in manufactures made by other countries in the 

 last quarter of a century is indisputable : in Germany the progress 

 in population, industry, and commerce since the consolidation of 

 the empire has been very great." 



" x\ll these countries have now reached a much more advanced 

 industrial position than that which they occupied thirty years ago. It 

 was the good fortune of Great Britain to attain a high level in manu- 

 facturing industries at a much earlier date ; the products of her mines 

 and factories long held the markets of the world with ease, since she 

 had practically no serious rival, and under the regime of Free-trade her 

 commerce expanded rapidly. More recently other nations have been 

 developing their resources of coal and other mineral wealth, and have 

 been increasing their scientific knowledge and mechanical skill ; and 

 tliey are now well equipped as competitors in many of the fields of 

 manufacture and of commerce. It is not remarkable that their 

 relative progress should appear rapid in comparison with that of a 

 country which attained industrial maturity at an earlier period, and 

 that it should even give rise to erroneous views as to its real nature 

 and magnitude, and the causes to which it should be ascribed. It is 

 inevitable that, at an earlier stage, growth may proceed at a greater 

 pace, but it does not necessarily follow that the ahsolute increase is 

 really greater, or even that it is an amount of vital significance." 



"Statistics prove that, for the present. Great Britain retains 

 her pre-eminence as the leading manufacturing and commercial 

 country." 



315 



