While professing friendship and brotherly love, they all have their eyes on their neighbor's throat, fearful only lest the other might clutch first.

As we are in danger of being drawn into this vortex, it is well to examine the range of possibilities and see what the trade amounts to, to obtain which the scientific intellect of Europe and America has been strained to its limits to discover new means of destruction for attack and defense unknown to the other brothers in the common bond of civilization.

It is a matter of course that trade among European nations does not come within this circle, nor of European nations with the United States. It does not depend on battle ships. In the annexed tables I have classified the countries in three classes: (1) Independent states; (2) colonies of European countries, populated by people of European stock; and (3) colonies and dependencies of European countries, but of non-European stock.

I have reduced the values of imports and exports of the different countries, published in their own currencies, to American dollars. As the values are paper currencies, silver currencies, or conventional values, and of fluctuating rates, I have in such instances taken a yearly average, which will be found in the footnotes of the tables.

I. Trade of Independent Countries other than of Europe and North America.

Names of Countries.Number of inhabitants.Importations.
Thousands of dollars.		Exportations.
Thousands of dollars.		Imports per capita.
Dollars.		Exports per capita.
Dollars.
Asia (1895)
China[19] 383,253 128,772 107,499 .34 .28
Japan[20] 42,270 90,681 62,443 2.14 1.47
All other states 27,000 30,000 82,000 1.10 1.18
America.
Argentina[21] 4,000 103,058 108,671 26.50 27.17
Brazil[22] 16,000 96,000 97,000 6.00 6.06
Chile[23] 2,700 69,200 72,900 25.62 27.00
Peru[24] 2,600 7,560 9,000 2.90 3.30
Mexico[25] 12,600 42,000 22,000 3.32 1.76
Uruguay[26] 800 25,000 30,000 31.25 37.50
Venezuela[27] 2,300 17,000 22,000 7.40 9.56
All other states 11,300 34,000 46,800 3.00 4.14
South Africa
Independent states 1,000 75,000 12,000 75.00 12.00
———————————————
Total independent states 505,800 718,271 622,313
———————————————
Asiatic states 452,500 249,453 201,942
American and South African 53,300 468,818 420,371

The year is 1896, and where a different one is taken it is so marked against the country in the table. The figures only represent the direct merchandise trade. All specie and bullion shipments are eliminated from the account.

II. Trade of India and Dependencies and of Colonies and other Possessions of the United Kingdom (Year ending March, 1897).

Names of Colonies and other Possessions. Number of inhabitants.Importations.
Thousands of dollars.		Exportations.
Thousands of dollars.		Imports per capita.
Dollars.		Exports per capita.
Dollars.
India and its dependencies[28] 290,690 284,026 378,732.971.30
Colonies.
Cape Colony 1,820 91,800 39,000 50.04 20.15
Natal 778 18,000 6,500 23.15 8.20
Gold Coast and other Central African possessions 36,70019,00017,000 .52 .46
Canada 5,125 118,000 121,000 23.05 24.04
West Indies 3,614 30,000 25,000 8.33 6.94
Australasia and Oceanica 4,793 204,500 210,000 42.65 43.75
———————————————
Trade of all countries under British flag 343,520 765,326 797,232
———————————————
Trade of colonies with white population16,130 461,320 411,584
Trade of Asiatic dependencies 290,690 284,026 378,732