Page:EB1922 - Volume 31.djvu/272

238 Jan. 1921

Feb. 1921

March 1921

April 1921

May 1921

}une 1921

uly 1921

1,436 1,372 1,334 1,323 1,306

1,365 1,425

238

May 1920 1,502

June 1920 1,377

uly 1920 1,363

Aug. 1920 1,446

Sept. 1920 1,495

Oct. 1920 1,462

Nov. 1920 1,506

Dec. 1920 1,437

This index, however, is also influenced by statutory prices. In free commerce prices rose in some instances fifty- and sixty-fold. The situation, of course, was always subject to the course of depreciation in the value of the mark, German prices tending to rise as the value of the mark abroad fell and vice versa.

Commerce. In 1902 an entirely new tariff law was adopted and came into force in 1906, when certain commercial treaties expired. By the Treaty of Versailles, however, some of the fundamental principles of the German customs tariff system were interfered with. Goods from regions formerly German are now duty-free or enjoy preferential treatment. Germany's freedom to conclude commercial treaties is restricted by the provision that most favoured treatment granted to any country by Germany is automatically extended to the Allied and Associated Powers. As a general rule, however, the German arrangements which were in force before the World War remained valid.

In accordance with the industrial development of Germany and the necessity of exporting on a large scale, and thanks to the diligent activities of German merchants and engineers, German foreign trade underwent an immense expansion up to the year 1914. In "special trade," inclusive of bullion, German imports had risen (in millions of marks) from 9,130 in 1910 to 11,206 in 1913, and ex- ports from 7,644 to 10,198. But on the outbreak of the WorH War German foreign trade collapsed. The complete severance from the world market caused by the blockade confined Germany to an ex- tremely limited coastal trade with the northern neutral countries. For 1919 the imports were valued officially at 32,376 million marks, and the exports at 10,057 millions; but these amounts cannot be compared with the statistics for former years, since the values they give are in depreciated paper marks. Only by reducing paper marks tp gold marks can comparable amounts be obtained. This applies in a still greater measure to the values given for the year 1920. The exports for the year 1920 figured out at about 69-3 milliards of paper marks. No figures were issued for imports. To form an idea of the extent of Germany's foreign trade in 1920 as compared with that before the war a closer examination must be made of the different kinds of goods and the quantities imported and exported.

Imports. Germany, a country with a population much too large in proportion to its agricultural production, and with industriesalso too extensive by comparison with its natural resources, has, as a natural consequence of this situation, an import trade which con- sists principally of food-stuffs, raw materials and half-manufactured goods. In 1913, of the total value of the imports 45-2% was raw materials, 10-7% half-manufactured goods, and 26-3 % food-stuffs and luxuries. The total value of the above amounted to 9,572-3 million marks. The import of finished goods was only 10-7% of the total imports and amounted in value to 1,246-1 million marks. In 1920 there had been no fundamental change m the relative pro- TABLE XI. Imports and Exports of Fond (in douhle-cwt.).

1913

1920 (Jan.-Oct.)

Import

Export

Import

Export

Wheat

25,459,586

5,383,130

5,914,801

21,037

Rye. Rye and wheatmeal. Potatoes. Fresh vegetables Fruit and tropical

3,525,339 188,687 3,820,496 3,089,812

9,344,634 4,198,571 3,324,725 532,104

4,041,258 781,013 7,308,092 1,985,014

12,848 282,852 573,961 310,273

fruits

10,025,799

303,327

2,022,319

52,185

Wine ....

!, 303.367

208,342

865,493

Canned delicacies

7L556

8l,779

1,207,446

21,371

Rice ....

4,775,998

1,843,536

1,270,256

10,010

Beans, peas, lentils. Barley and oats

2,119,870 37,432,455

120,295 6,677,568

1,765,431 774,486

46,376 51,018

Maize ....

9.186,553

346

4,089,317

II

Beef, veal, pork, mut-

ton, goats' flesh

549,325

16,605

1,390,352

1,017

Bacon

16,498

366

816,508

54

Lard.

1,073,869

169

1,234,132

Milk.

771,982

167,733

292,114

14,504

Butter

542,394

2,732

78,141

1,946

Cheese

262,646

7,270

228,357

784

Oil and vegetable

fats .... Margarine and arti-

483,918

242,575

852,326

10,041-35

ficial fats

989

533,013

640,670

12,370

Sugar ....

27,670

11,262,170

982,948

68,259

Fish, fresh,

1,685,057

170,238

smoked, salted (bar.) Tobacco

1,298,119 813,998

5,521 4,339

4,836,728 834,566

23,353 3,342

portions of these imports. The figures for food-stuffs are somewhat more prominent, while for finished goods they are rather less. Table XI shows the imports and exports of the principal food-stuffs for 1913 and 1920 respectively.

It is noteworthy that the import of grain (flour being reckoned in the corresponding quantities of grain) in 1920 almost exactly corre- sponded to the quantity required in 1913, taking into account the diminution of territory in 1920; and further that the import of potatoes, pulse, sugar, meat and fats had risen enormously.

Table -XII shows the imports and exports of raw materials.

TABLE XII. Imports and Exports of Raw Materials (indouble-cwt.).

1913

1920

Import

Export

Import

Export

Mineral oils.

12,943,547

334,604

4,201,901

73,279

Iron manganese.

160,151,493

27,772,847

64,504,207

1,605,200

Copper ore Pyrites and pyritic

275,950

252,211

1,083,114

29,038

ores

10,257,321

282,141

4,785,097

26,641

Raw iron

1,243,161

7,829,108

979,994

1,259,216

Copper. Aluminium

2,253,920 153,225

72,037 27,032

595,217 78,221

63,455 28,639

Lead

837,810

413,694

173,066

87,577

Tin ....

142,606

64,374

45,362

2,261

Zinc

559,642

1,052,435

5,268

278,776

Cotton.

5,211,280

525,834

1,498,793

6,753

Flax.

932,223

432,069

17,435

3,827

Hemp

616,966

89,434

l6 i,775

380

Jute

1,620,634

78,216

505,217

8,603

Wool

1,992,713

168,641

524,890

5,5i8

Silk ....

43,039

7,730

12,187

J-997

Hides Rubber.

2,765,744 237,806

824,724 46,012

601,819 127,910

19,081, 1,289

China clay Rough wood

3,031,063

12,848,734

420,576 668,801

1,311,016 648,764

312,125 367,982

Coal Lignite.

105,400,694 69,870,647

345,984,084 603,451

2,629,370 23,406,957

73,049,823 722,993

In the import of raw materials a great diminution is apparent in the figures for 1920.

Exports. The fact that the expansion of Germany's exports be- fore the war was due, not to the possession of raw materials so much as to industrial enterprise and labour, is of decisive importance in estimating the effects of her defeat and of the Peace of Versailles. If the 132 milliards of gold marks which were demanded from Germany by way of reparations were to be paid, this could only be done by increased achievements on the part of German labour in the creation of goods for export. Among German exports in 1913 the value of metal goods (machinery, etc.) stood first, at more than 3 milliard marks, or, roughly, three-tenths of the total. In 1920 they repre- sented three-eights. The imports in this class in 1913 amounted only to 830 million marks, leaving a large credit balance. The next highest group of exports in point of value is that of the products of agriculture and forestry, and other animal and vegetable products, food-stuffs, etc., to the total of 1,728-2 million marks. It is counterbalanced, however, by imports of the same categories to the value of 7 mil- liards of gold marks. Only the products known as those of the " secondary agricultural industries " show a balance in favour of exports, particularly flour of all kinds; pearl barley, corn flour, ground- nut oil, palm-kernel oil, coconut oil, potato starch, stiff rubber, beet-root sugar, beer and mineral waters. In the third highest group of exports, that of manufactured animal and vegetable fibres and goods made of these, to the total value of 1,560-6 million marks in 1913, there was a considerable excess of exports over imports, more than 700 million marks in all. In these exports woollen and cotton goods took the first place. The export of woollen and cotton goods alone amounted to almost one milliard marks in value. The situation was equally favourable in other groups: chemical and pharma- ceutical products; dyes and dyeing materials; leather and leather goods; furriers' goods; catgut goods; paper and pasteboard, and goods made therefrom; rubber goods, etc. It is only in the large group of mineral raw materials and mineral oils that an export of 869-8 million marks in 1913 was set off by a larger amount of im- ports, 1,087-3 million marks.

In 1920 the proportions of the different groups had considerably altered. The second place was no longer occupied by the products of agriculture and forestry, but by chemical products, dyes and dye- stuffs. These are followed by textiles and mineral raw materials. Next come agricultural and forestry products, and the other groups. The exports of the most important goods in 1913 and 1920 (Jan.- Oct.) are compared in Table XIII.

Before the war, the share of the different countries in Germany's foreign trade was proportionate to their supplies of goods and raw material and to their demand for finished goods. Russia took the first place for imports into Germany from European countries. Ger- man exports to Russia were correspondingly large. Great Britain, Austria and France were the next most important sources of im- ports. Then a long way after came Belgium, Holland and Italy; and at the bottom of the list Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and