Trade and the Flag 37 



per cent for Porto Rico ; the proportion of the total exports sent 

 to the United States was 32.3 for the Philippines, 98.5 per cent 

 for Hawaii, 86.9 per cent for Porto Rico. 



In considering the value of colonies as markets for goods, not 

 only present but prospective trade must be taken into account. 

 There is every reason to believe that the settlement colonies will 

 continue to prosper as they have done in the past. Interest then 

 centers around the tropical countries. Under present conditions 

 some sort of control of the tropics is inevitable. 131 Although it 

 is being found that articles such as sugar, which were formerly 

 confined to the tropics, may now be produced in the temperate 

 regions, the temperate zones are becoming increasingly dependent 

 upon the tropics for raw materials and food products. Owing 

 to this fact trade with the tropical regions is of great importance 

 to the temperate zone countries. Gerrare maintains that the de- 

 sire to control a base for tropical supplies is at the bottom of 

 Russia's imperialistic ambitions. He says : 



" Since Russia has attempted industrialism she feels the need 

 all manufacturing nations have experienced of securing tropical 

 produce which she can convert into goods, and of extending her 

 markets amongst those who purchase such finished wares as she 

 can supply. The first is the most pressing. England has India 

 and other tropical possessions ; Belgium has the Congo ; France, 

 Tonkin; Germany, parts of Africa, Papua and Borneo. . . . 

 Without such properties no purely manufacturing community 

 can compete successfully in the world's markets, and the necessity 

 of possessing some such territory has forced itself upon modern 

 Russia. 132 



" This is the real ground for apprehension Anglo-Saxons have 

 in regard to India. Had Russia tropical possessions she would 

 not be so jealous as she is of Britain's hold upon that country. 

 She has approached Abyssinia. The existence there of co- 

 religionists afforded an excuse and that act also shows the potency 



131 Cf. Giddings, Democracy and Empire, 284. 



132 This desire is doubtless an important factor but the writer would not 

 lay the stress upon it that Gerrare does. 



213 



