Trade and the Flag 23 



equally great variations, 16 per cent (South West Africa) to 93 

 per cent (East Caroline Islands ). S5 Taking the German posses- 

 sions as a whole, the proportion of trade with the mother coun- 

 try is an increasing one. 86 



The German colonies make a favorable trade showing also 

 in that the proportion of the mother country's trade which is 

 colonial is larger than formerly. But when the colonial trade is 

 compared with Germany's foreign trade the relative insignifi- 

 cance of the former becomes apparent. The trade with the col- 

 onies will have to grow a great deal before the German posses- 

 sions can be regarded as of any considerable commercial impor- 

 tance to the Empire. 87 



The methods employed by the Germans in developing the colo- 

 nies are often quite different from those used by the English and 

 the results are correspondingly different. A comparison of Ger- 

 man East Africa with British East Africa shows that the former 

 colony has a series of ports and more navigable rivers than British 

 East Africa, and probably is richer in mineral wealth ; and that 

 the Germans have spent money upon German East Africa more 

 freely than the English have upon British East Africa. The 

 development of the former, however, does not promise to be so 

 rapid as that of the latter. The reason is that the British cen- 

 tered their energies on the construction of the Uganda Railway 

 to open up the country while German expenditures have taken 

 other forms, such as for palaces, fortresses, lighthouses, educa- 



s5 Compiled from ibid. 



89 Proportion of Trade with Germany. 



Year Imports Exports Total Trade 



Average. percent. percent. percent. 



1892-1896 39.2 38.O 38.7 



IOX»5 67.9 58.O 65.I 



I908 62.3 65.8 63.5 



87 Proportion of Germany's Special Trade with her Colonies ( Exclu- 

 sive of Kiauchau). 



Year Imports Exports 



Average. percent. percent. 



1892-1896 O.I 0.2 



I905 0.2 O.8 



I908 O.4 O.9 



199 



