238 THE COLONIAL EXPANSION OF FRANCE 



and lead ores. The neighborhood of Algiers is the winter garden of 

 Paris, sending daih' during the season steamers to Marseilles loaded 

 with garden })roduce, which is distributed through France. More 

 and more a twofold current of life binds Africa with France and 

 France with Africa. French civilization moves southward with its 

 imperfections, with the usual concomitants of such movements, but 

 also with blessings unspeakable for the natives. It is not astonish- 

 ing then that the north African colonies should excite a very legiti- 

 mate enthusiasm among Frenchmen. ]\I. Paul T.eroy-Beaulieu says : 

 "Algeria and Tunis are and will remain the first European colonies 

 of Africa." The late Grant Allen has expressed the desire that in the 

 interest of civilization the beneficent French power, as Hamerton puts 

 it, might ultimately be permitted to extend over ^lorocco. 



The natives under France have, as a whole, suffered less from their 

 contact with European civilization than those under other great 

 powers. Were Parkman still among us, he might repeat, concerning 

 the lower races that come in touch with France, what he said of the 

 Indian : " Spanish civilization crushed the Indian ; English civiliza- 

 tion scorned and neglected him ; French civilization embraced and 

 cherished him." 



French ex}>ansion should not be judged by its economic results; 

 yet even from that point of view it is gradually becoming more satis- 

 factory. The trade of the colonies reaches $231,000,000, $160,000,000 

 of which is with France. Were she to allow her colonies to lev}' duties 

 upon metropolitan goods, most of them would have a large surplus. 

 But even though they are not self-supporting, neither are all the de- 

 partments of France. Tiie spirit of national solidarity which em- 

 braces poor departments must also prevail in the colonies ; yet it 

 must be admitted that the French colonies still cost far too much 

 and that 85,000,000 francs or $17,000,000 a year is excessive, though 

 there are man}' signs that the regular demands upon the budget will 

 soon decrease. 



The colonial expansion of France has not only influenced for good 

 the peoples whom it has reached and reacted favorably upon the 

 French themselves, but it is also working for international enrich- 

 ment. Temporarily her fiscal measures, at some particular points, 

 may disturb certain old trading establishments of foreign houses, but 

 the development of the new countries and the increase of wealth will 

 counterbalance these obstacles, and the most intelligent producers 

 will have the best economic possibilities, for after all these possibilities 

 are " mightiest in the mightiest." 



