Movement of Minerals Under Pre-war Conditions of International Trade
If the world pre-war movement of minerals is considered broadly, it may be regarded as conforming essentially to normal trade conditions of supply and demand. There have been barriers to overcome, such as tariffs and trade controls and monopolies of various kinds, but these barriers have not prevented the major movements between the best sources of supply and the principal consuming centers. These movements may be regarded as a more or less spontaneous internationalization of mineral resources by private enterprise. The aim of free trade or unrestricted commerce was equality of trade opportunities; but such conditions of unrestricted competition tended to concentrate trade in the hands of the strongest interests and to prevent equality of opportunity.
The efforts made to promote or hinder international mineral movements by tariffs, bonuses, embargoes, subsidies, transport control, patents, government management, financial pressure, and other means have been incited mainly by national or imperial self-interest, and have thus been to some extent inimical to an internationalization based on the principle of the greatest good to the greatest number. It may be supposed that, in any effort to attain supernational or international control, motives and measures based on national self-interest of the sort here mentioned will continue to play an important part.