The sun., 1905-10-22

v.
In a chapter on Commerce. the funda-
mental fact is recalled that the expansion Of
external trade was the original motive of
colonizing activities, and that. even to the
present time, tho English colonial move
ment, especially in the tropics, is pivoted
upon commercial interests. These liter
ssts. indeed, have been 40 clearly pre-
ponderant that political methods AID in
stitutions have been moulded with primo
regard to commercial policies, Fer this
reason British colonial administration has
always favored local autonomy; the crt alton
by the home government OF g general
uniform system Of legislation, to which all
colonial potentialties would have to on
form, will remain, in our authors opinion,
impossible as long as British commercial
interests are active and vigorous. 1t Is
pronounced a mistake, the a.tompt to
subject colonies to imperial supervision
and control, which is made by some Of the
other Powers, and which, under Mr..
Chamberlain's leadership, even some SEQ
tions Of the British public seemed at one
time in danger Of m king. 1t is, in our
authors opinion, an error to believe that
commercial enterprise can be created and
upheld by purely political methods. In
Germany, for instance, and to a somewhat
less extent in France, the undue empha sis
laid on political action has been carried
80 far that many contemporary discussions
Of colonial administration neglect entirely
those natural methods OF building up COM
mercial relations upon which, after all,
the prosperity Of any colonial undertaking
must rest
As access to the worlds markets, or at
all events to the markets Of the ruling
State, is, of course. essential to the devel
opment Of colonial commerce, the creation
Of regular shipping facilities, with reasona-
BILE prices, ought to be one Of the first con-
siderations Of colonial administration.
Prof Reinsch ascribes to the splendid
service OF the German merchant marine
the opportunity which German industries
at present enjoy for placing their products
in almost any part OF the world Much
stress, however, is laid in the book before
us upon the indisputable truth that COM
meroe in colonies can flourish only in the
absence of all vexatious regulations. When,
for instance. a system of police interference
and supervision is transferred from Ger
many to Africa it acts as damper upon
all colonial enterprise, and no official fos
tering can take the place Of vigorous private
initiative in making colonies profitable to
the mother country. In those colonies,
also, wficb have high customs tariff, and
consequently a strict system Of customs
examination, commerce is necessarily sub
ject to many delays and harassments
which tend to drive II to other countries
where conditions are more favorable. Our
author attributes the astounding develop
ment Of British commerce in Africa and
Asia largely to the liberal manner in which
the English have followed out the policy
OF free trade in all their colonial dependen-
cies. Commercial entrepots Of such i'm
portance as Hongkong and Singapore could
have been created on no other basis.
We cannot but recognize, nevertheless,
that at the present time a strong current
OF opinion Is setting toward different
system, which aims, as we have said, to
develop colonial commerce through arti-
fetal political arrangements. The general
plan contemplated by this policy is that
certain territories shall be preempted in
behalf Of the commerce and industry of
particular country, and that, as soon as
treaty obligations and general considera-
tions permit, wall shall be erected high
enough to discourage commerce on the
part Of those territories with other nations.
This policy. which has been followed quite
consistently by France. has been crowned
with ostensible success, inasmuch as the
trade Of certain colonies with the ruling
State has increased relatively; there are,
therefore, found many advocates Of such
system, not onlytn Germany but in the
United States, and even in Great Britain
there are statesmen who would fain initiate
the method which has given to France a
practical monopoly Of the trade in mos.
Of her colonies. When, however, the in
dustrial and commercial conditions pre-
vailing in those colonies are scrutinized in
detail 1t Is found that the absolute increase
in commerce and prosperity is not what
was expected. While the mother country
may seem to have gained. the general well
being Of the colony has suffered because 1t