20 Minnie Throop England 



was almost entirely monopolized by a British firm, the Douglas 

 Steamship Company. Subsequently, owing to subsidization of 

 Japanese lines, it is almost entirely shut out, except as it sends 

 one or two boats to Tamsui during the tea season. 75 In 1902 

 there were eleven subsidized routes receiving a total subsidy of 

 664,209 yen. 76 The different mother countries of the West In- 

 dian islands have also paid heavy subsidies to steamers plying 

 between the mother country and colony, and to-day this system 

 of European subsidy continues, while from one island to another 

 the means of intercourse are very unsatisfactory. 77 



Trade is influenced by official attitude towards commerce. In 

 the British possessions and indeed in most of the other colonies 

 it is left to individual enterprise to push the sale of goods. But 

 French officers and civil servants receive official instructions to 

 favor French merchants and to push the sale of French wares 

 and this may be a reason aside from discriminating duties that 

 Madagascar now buys more goods of France than it did before 

 it came under French dominion. 78 The German colonial officials 

 also do not hesitate to give practical and active assistance to Ger- 

 man traders. Such government advertising of goods cannot be 

 without effect. 



Although it is only exceptionally that sentiment™ discriminates 

 against goods of any nationality, yet at times it may reach such 

 a high point that it predominates in determining the origin of 



75 Ibid., 257-258. 

 7a Ibid.,, 260. 



77 Bigelow, Children of the Nations, 305. 



78 Cf. Davidson, Commercial Federation and Colonial Trade Policy, 141. 

 " If by the maxim trade follows the flag it must be understood that 



people will prefer poor and dear goods to cheaper and better goods simply 

 because the former were manufactured under the flag, few would be 

 found to defend it. Sentiment undoubtedly has a strong influence on trade 

 and patriotism is one kind of sentiment. But its influence is not exerted 

 in this simple way. Its effect is more indirect. It may alter the estimates 

 which people place on goods. Prejudice and custom may so modify a 

 man's tastes and inclinations that he prefers goods made under the flag. 

 But this is because goods made under the flag are in themselves different 

 goods from apparently similar articles made elsewhere.'' Davidson, op. 

 cit., 144. 



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