The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-08-06
THE SHIFTING OF POPULATION
Changes in the Routine of Commerce
and Seats of Industry.

and Seats of Industry.
New Orleans Picayune.
The twentieth century is going to be
marked by great shifting of population
and many startling new deals in COM
merce and in the growth and decline OF
commercial cities.
These observations are suggested by the
announcement within day or two past
of the fall in the city of Venice. Italy, of
famous church tower which was built
in the ninth century, or, more accurate
ly, the year A. D. SSS.
Venice. the capital and chief city of
Venezia. sort of island republic near
the head of the Adriatic sea, became
about the beginning of the seventh Gen.
fury one of the most important CONNER,
cial marts in Europe. 1t should be re-
membered that America had not then
been discovered, nor was there known
any other route for the commerce OF
Asia to reach Europe than through the
Persian gulf to Bagdad, and thence by
caravan to Constantinople, whence 1t was
brought by the Venetian ships to the
wharves of the city, which was for a
long period to be famous in commerce, in
war and in statesmanship. as well as in
wealth and culture. Venice also monop-
olized the trade of Egypt by way of Alex
andria, and from the Venetian stores and
warehouses the merchandise of Asia and
Africa was distributed throughout Eu-
rope.
The first banking business of deposit
and exchange known in the history of
commerce was done in Venice. SO ia
nous were the Venetian merchants, so
wealthy were they, so extensive were
their operations throughout Europe, Asia
and Africa, and so soldly established was
their reputation for honesty, reliability
and promptness in business that their
credit was invincible. and the bills of ex-
change issued by them were universally
accepted. The term merchant prince"
was first applied to the great Venetians
who. besides being the foremost mer-
chants in the world, were among the
ablest soldiers. naval commanders and
statesmen.
And so Venice went on for centuries,
increasing IN wealth, power and glory I'M
til Columbus discovered the new world
beyond the Atlantic Ocean, and about the
same time Vasco Di Cana, the great Por-
tuguese navigator, sailed around the
southernmost cape of Africa to India,
and opened a sea route between Europe
and Asia. From that time Venice began
to lose its commercial supremacy. 1t
did not happen in day or a year, but
the decline went on steadily until by the
end of the sixteenth century it's great
power had been lost, and finally the
Queen of the Adriatic came to be what
it is today, a mere show city, living upon
the money poured out there by tourists
and pilgrims from all parts of the world.
Long ago it lost its commercial power
and prestige, and now the foundations of
its grand churches and palaces are
crumbling to ruins.
The trade lost by Venice was gained
by other countries, first by Spain, which
owned the greater part of America, and
by Holland, which made important con-
quests in the East Indies. But no coun-
try proflted as much as did England. The
vast accessions to Its trade made the
British Isles the seat of the greatest COM
merce and manufacturing centres, and
London the most populous city and the
most important shipping port in the
world.
But another one of those wonderful
changes in the routes and seats of COM
merce is taking place. Spain, which had
been made by the unlimited gold and sill
yer of Mexico and Peru the richest and
most powerful nation on the globe, has
lost all her colonies and has long ago
been shorn of all power and prestige, and
the far-seeing men of Great Britain are
noting the British loss of trade.
A writer in The London Nineteenth Cen
fury for July calls attention to the fact
that since 1900 more than 1000 British
steamships, with a gross tonnage of l.
500 900, have been sold to foreigners, to be
operated in a carrying business formerly
done in British interests but this is a
mere bagatelle compared with other COM
mercial changes which are taking place
The writer mentioned expresses much
alarm at the fact that the great English
ports are losing trade which is going to
other countries and cities. Orc of the
causes assigned for this is the opening
of the Suez canal, which enables all the
along the Mediterranean to
trade directly with India and China.
whereas, before the existence of the ca
nal that commerce was carried by Brit
ish steamers around the cape of Africa
to London. from which it was tranship-
ped TO special destinations.
The recent rise of Germany as a man
exporting and shipping nation
Is having powerful effects to build up
such ports as Hamburg. Rotterdam and
Antwerp. which last, although IL is Bel
gian city, is really a supplementary port
OF Germany. The writer referred to gives