They had accomplished marvels, they were ready
for amazing sacrifices.
"Now, one of the principal reasons why Germany was able to do these
things, although, she probably ignored it and possibly would deny it, is
to be found in the free-trade policy of England.
"At any time during the past twenty years England could have checked
German progress effectively by the establishment of a protective tariff
system designed to encourage her own colonies and other nations with
whom she had long been on friendly and influential terms, to the utmost
development of exclusive trade privileges designed to shut out Germany.
Except for the long-established English policy of commercial freedom
Germany could not have accomplished for herself what she has.
"Germany has been growing rapidly. Her birth rate has been high, but of
late it has been falling, and when the war began there were indications
that she soon would approach the low ratio of population increase
already characteristic of France, of New England and the Middle West in
the United States, and lately of England. But Germany's population was
still a growing one and, in a sense, a restive one.
Pages:
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363