International Commerce and Reconstruction (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1920 Excerpt: ...raw materials was increasing very rapidly. As Germany's industry expanded and her exports increased, her imports naturally had to rise in proportion. In the sixteen years from 1896 to 1912, her imports of a group of important tropical raw materials almost quadrupled. The value of imports in million marks is given herewith: It is worthy of note that in 1912 almost one-half these imports, in value, came from the British Empire, approximately 608,000,000 marks.2 For 1913, the value of other leading raw-material imports was as follows:8 This array of figures is a testimony to the amazing folly of Germany's rulers in precipitating the war, but they are equally 'Norddeutsche Altgemeine Zeitung, Jan. 19, 1918L 'Sued Deutsche Monatshefte, Jan., 1918. convincing evidence of the impracticability of a boycott aad of its damaging effect on Allied producers of raw materials. (c) The Need for Foreign Trade With her large population and limited area, Germany could thrive only by becoming a highly industrialized state, dependent upon outside sources for raw materials and exporting finished products broadcast. Indeed, it has been estimated that onequarter of her population lived directly by foreign commerce.4 There were 950,000 people engaged in Germany's textile trades alone, and her merchant fleet employed about 96,000 men on board ships, to say nothing of the harbor and dock workers and those in related occupations. In a prophetic article, written before the war, the importance of foreign trade and the danger of its complete disorganization in case of war were pointed out. "The 6,000,000 engaged in textile, leather, and clothing industries, in shipbuilding and the provision trade, might be reduced to absolute beggary if our foreign commerce broke down. The 17,000,00...