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supply all requirements; or if they cease; create new ones; can



take in exchange every kind of raw materials and means of



subsistence。 Such nations only can freight ships with a variety of



objects; such as are required by a distant market which has no



internal manufactured goods of its own。 Only when the export



freights themselves suffice to indemnify the voyage; can ships be



loaded with less valuable return freights。



    The most important articles of importation of the nations of



the temperate zone consist in the products of tropical climates; in



sugar; coffee; cotton; tobacco; tea; dye stuffs; cacao; spices; and



generally in those articles which are known under the name of



colonial produce。 By far the greatest part of these products is



paid for with manufactured goods。 In this interchange chiefly



consists the cause of the progress of industry in manufacturing



Countries of the temperate zone; and of the progress of



civilisation and production in the countries of the torrid zone。



This constitutes the division of labour; and combination of the



powers of production to their greatest extent; as these never



existed in ancient times; and as they first originated from the



Dutch and English。



    Before the discovery of the route round the Cape; the East



still far surpassed Europe in manufactures。 Besides the precious



metals and small quantities of cloth; linen; arms; iron goods; and



some fabrics of luxury; European articles were but little used



there。 The transport by land rendered both inward and outward



conveyance expensive。 The export of ordinary agricultural products



and common manufactured goods; even if they had been produced in



excess; in exchange for the silks and cotton stuffs; sugar; and



spices; of the East; could not be hoped for。 Whatever we may;



therefore; read of the importance of Oriental commerce in those



times; must always be understood relatively; it was important only



for that time; but unimportant compared with what it is now。



    The trade in the products of the torrid zone became more



important to Europe through the acquisition of larger quantities of



the precious metals in the interior and from America; and through



the direct intercourse with the East by the route round the Cape。



It could not; however; attain to universal importance as long as



the East produced more manufactured goods than she required。



    This commerce attained its present importance through the



colonisation of Europeans in the East and West Indies; and in North



and South America through the transplantation of the sugar cane; of



the coffee tree; of cotton; rice; indigo; &c。; through the



transportation of negroes as slaves to America and the West Indies;



then through the successful competition of the European with the



East Indian manufacturers; and especially through the extension of



the Dutch and English sovereignty in foreign parts of the world;



while these nations; in contrast to the Spaniards and Portuguese;



sought and found their advantage more in the exchange of



manufactured goods for colonial goods; than in extortion。



    This commerce at present employs the most important part of the



large shipping trade and of the commercial and manufacturing



capital of Europe which is employed in foreign commerce; and all



the hundreds of millions in value of such products which are



transported annually from the countries of the torrid zone to those



of the temperate zone are; with but little exception; paid for in



manufactured goods。



    The exchange of colonial products for manufactured goods is of



manifold use to the productive powers of the countries of the



temperate zone。 These articles serve either; as e。g。 sugar; coffee;



tea; tobacco; partly as stimulants to agricultural and



manufacturing production; partly as actual means of nourishment;



the production of the manufactured goods which are required to pay



for the colonial products; occupies a larger number of



manufacturers; manufactories and manufacturing business can be



conducted on a much larger scale; and consequently more profitably;



this commerce; again; employs a larger number of ships; of seamen;



and merchants; and through the manifold increase of the population



thus occasioned; the demand for native agricultural products is



again very greatly increased。



    In consequence of the reciprocal operation which goes on



between manufacturing production and the productions of the torrid



zone; the English consume on an average two to three times more



colonial produce than the French; three to four times more than the



Germans; five to ten times more than the Poles。



    Moreover; the further extension of which colonial production is



still capable; may be recognised from a superficial calculation of



the area which is required for the production of those colonial



goods which are at present brought into commerce。



    If we take the present consumption of cotton at ten million



centners; and the average produce of an acre (40;000 square feet)



only at eight centners; this production requires not more than 1



1/4 million acres of land。 If we estimate the quantity of sugar



brought into commerce at 14 million centners; and the produce of an



acre at 10 centners; this total production requires merely 1 1/2



million acres。



    If we assume for the remaining articles (coffee; rice; indigo;



spices; &c。) as much as for these two main articles; all the



colonial goods at present brought into commerce require no more



than seven to eight million acres; an area which is probably not



the fiftieth part of the surface of the earth which is suitable for



the culture of such articles。



    The English in the East Indies; the French in the Antilles; the



Dutch in Java and Sumatra; have recently afforded actual proof of



the possibility of increasing these productions in an extraordinary



manner。 has increased her imports of cotton from England;



especially; the East Indies fourfold; and the English papers



confidently maintain that Great Britain (especially if she succeeds



in getting possession of the old commercial route to the East



Indies) could procure all her requirements of colonial products in



the course of a few years from India。 This anticipation will not



appear exaggerated if we take into consideration the immense extent



of the English East Indian territory; its fertility; and the cheap



wages paid in those countries。



    While England in this manner gains advantage from the East



Indies; the progress in cultivation of the Dutch in the islands



will increase; in consequence of the dissolution of the Turkish



Empire a great portion of Africa and the west and middle of Asia



will become productive; the Texans will extend North American



cultivation over the whole of Mexico; orderly governments will



settle down in South America and promote the yield of the immense



productive capacity of these tropical countries。



    If thus the countries of the torrid zone produce enormously



greater quantities of colonial goods than heretofore; they will



supply themselves with the means of taking from the countries of



the temperate zone much larger quantities of manufactured goods;



and from the larger sale of manufactured goods the manufacturers



will be enabled to consume larger quantities of colonial goods。 In



consequence of this increased production; and increase of the means



of exchange; the commercial intercourse between the agriculturists



of the torrid zone and the manufacturers of the temperate zone;



i。e。 the great commerce of the world; will increase in future in a



far larger proportion than it has done in the course of the last



century。



    This present increase; and that yet to be anticipated; of the



now great commerce of the world; has its origin partly in the great



progress of the manufacturing powers of production; partly in the



perfection of the means of transport by water and by land; partly



in political events and developments。



    Through machinery and new inventions the imperfect



manufacturing industry of the East has been destroyed for the



benefit of the European manufacturing power; and the latter enabled



to supply the countries of the torrid zone with large quantities of



fabrics at the cheapest prices; and thus to give them motives for



augmenting their own powers of labour and production。



    In consequence of the great improvements in means of transport;



the countries of the torrid zone have been brought inf

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