The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-08-27
MANUFACTURES AND COLONIES.

The Policy of Nations Who Make More
Articles Than They Can Consume.
There has recently appeared under
authority of the state department in
Washington table showing the rela-
ton which the colonies of certain Eu-
ropean countries bear to the home
country, and from it is seen that four
of the governments of Europe-Great
Britain, France, Holland and Portugal
have colonies larger in respect to
population than the home country,
while two other European govern
ments, Germany and Denmark, have
colonies larger in territorial area than
the home country. 1t is more than
a coincidence that the governments
which have colonies are, for the most
part, those which are conspicuous in
manufacturing industries, while it is
observable that innearly every case
the agricultural countries Of Europe,
notably Russia, Austria, Spain and
Sweden, either haveno distant colonies
remote from the home country, or are
on the point of losing those colonies
which they have, and the same is true
of Italy and Turkey.
The figures show that all manufac-
turing countries under the impetus of
steam power, electricity and modern
invention are able to produce consid-
erably more than their inhabitants
can consume and, the home market
being insufficient, recourse has been
had to foreign market artifcially
created by the colonial expansion of
the kind now generally favored by
those who are seeking to get for
American manufacturing products a
larger field than can otherwise be Sc
cured. The three manufacturing
countries of Europe, England, France
and Germany, have been increasing
very rapidly their colonial possessions
of late years and this is more particu-
larly true perhaps of Germany, which
has in Africa alone colonies covering
over 500, 900 square miles.
1.-THE Statesman's Year Book" for
1898 shows the commerce of Great
Britain in the export trade during the
year previous to have amounted to
$500, 600, 900 of cotton goods, $780,
100000 of wooden goods, $40, 900, 900
Of linen and jute manufactures, $685.
OOO,000 of wearing apparel, and $780,
100000 of machinery and cutlery.
Frances trade with French colonies,
exclusive of Algeria and Tunis, amount
ed last year to $50, 100000 of imports
and $25, 100000 of exports, and the
exports of German manufacture to
foreign colonies now amount to a con-
siderable figure. Last year these i'm
ports into the Cameroons amounted to
81, 100000 in value, into German
Africa to 81, 100000, and into Togo
land to about as much.
The policy of all producing coun-
tries largely engaged in manufacture
is to discriminate against like manu-
features in other countries, and the
possession of large colonies, there
fore, is a decided benefit to the home
country, benefit which agricultural
countries do not enjoy. Austria Hun
gary furnishes fair illustration of
this. The Austrian products, and
particularly glass, leather, WOODEN
goods, porcelain and stoneware, are
extensive and give employment to
nearly 5000, 900 persons, but the COM
merce of Austria is inconslderable,
and much more than half of it is with
Germany under conditions which are
necessarily more favorable to the Ger.
man consumers than to the Austrian
producers.