The manufacturing Power and Navigation, Naval Power andColonizationManufactures as the basis of a large home and foreign commerceare also the fundamental conditions of the existence of anyconsiderable mercantile marine.Since the most important functionof inland transport consists in supplying manufacturers with fueland building materials, raw materials and means of subsistence, thecoast and river navigation cannot well prosper in a merelyagricultural State.The coast navigation, however, is the schooland the dep魌 of sailors, ships' captains, and of shipbuilding, andhence in merely agricultural countries the main foundation for anylarge maritime navigation is lacking.
International commerce consists principally (as we have shownin the previous chapter) in the interchange of manufactured goodsfor raw materials and natural products, and especially for theproducts of tropical countries.But the agricultural countries ofthe temperate zone have merely to offer to the countries of thetorrid zone what they themselves produce, or what they cannot makeuse of, namely, raw materials and articles of food; hence directcommercial intercourse between them and the countries of the torridzone, and the ocean transport which arises from it, is not to beexpected.Their consumption of colonial produce must be limited tothose quantities for which they can pay by the sale of agriculturalproducts and raw materials to the manufacturing and commercialnations; they must consequently procure these articles second-hand.
In the commercial intercourse between an agricultural nation and amanufacturing commercial nation, however, the greatest part of thesea transport must fall to the latter, even if it is not in itspower by means of navigation laws to secure the lion's share toitself.
Besides internal and international commerce, sea fisheriesoccupy a considerable number of ships; but again from this branchof industry, as a rule, nothing or very little falls to theagricultural nation; as there cannot exist in it much demand forthe produce of the sea, and the manufacturing commercial nationsare, out of regard to the maintenance of their naval power,accustomed to protect their home market exclusively for their ownsea fisheries.
The fleet recruits its sailors and pilots from the privatemercantile marine, and experience has as yet always taught thatable sailors cannot be quickly drilled like land troops, but mustbe trained up by serving in the coasting and internationalnavigation and in sea fisheries.The naval power of nations willtherefore always be on the same footing with these branches ofmaritime industry, it will consequently in the case of the mereagricultural nation be almost nil.
The highest means of development of the manufacturing power, ofthe internal and external commerce proceeding from it, of anyconsiderable coast and sea navigation, of extensive sea fisheries,and consequently of a respectable naval power, are colonies.
The mother nation supplies the colonies with manufacturedgoods, and obtains in return their surplus produce of agriculturalproducts and raw materials; this interchange gives activity to itsmanufactures, augments thereby its population and the demand forits internal agricultural products, and enlarges its mercantilemarine and naval power.The superior power of the mother country inpopulation, capital, and enterprising spirit, obtains throughcolonisation an advantageous outlet, which is again made good withinterest by the fact that a considerable portion of those who haveenriched themselves in the colony bring back the capital which theyhave acquired there, and pour it into the lap of the mother nation,or expend their income in it.
Agricultural nations, which already need the means of formingcolonies, also do not possess the power of utilising andmaintaining them.What the colonies require, cannot be offered bythem, and what they can offer the colony itself possesses.
The exchange of manufactured goods for natural products is thefundamental condition on which the position of the present coloniescontinues.On that account the United States of North Americaseceded from England as soon as they felt the necessity and thepower of manufacturing for themselves, of carrying on forthemselves navigation and commerce with the countries of the torridzone; on that account Canada will also secede after she has reachedthe same point, on that account independent agriculturalmanufacturing commercial States will also arise in the countries oftemperate climate in Australia in the course of time.
But this exchange between the countries of the temperate zoneand the countries of the torrid zone is based upon natural causes,and will be so for all time.Hence India has given up hermanufacturing power with her independence to England; hence allAsiatic countries of the torrid zone will pass gradually under thedominion of the manufacturing commercial nations of the temperatezone; hence the islands of the torrid zone which are at presentdependent colonies can hardly ever liberate themselves from thatcondition; and the States of South America will always remaindependent to a certain degree on the manufacturing commercialnations.
England owes her immense colonial possessions solely to hersurpassing manufacturing power.If the other European nations wishalso to partake of the profitable business of cultivating wasteterritories and civilising barbarous nations, or nations oncecivilised but which are again sunk in barbarism, they must commencewith the development of their own internal manufacturing powers, oftheir mercantile marine, and of their naval power.And should theybe hindered in these endeavours by England's manufacturing,commercial, and naval supremacy, in the union of their powers liesthe only means of reducing such unreasonable pretensions toreasonable ones.