Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 09.djvu/201

* GREAT BRITAIN. 175 GREAT BRITAIN. From this it will be seen that the imports are increasing faster than the exports, lireat Brit- ain's imports are about twice those ot any other country, and the United States alone is a close rival in value of exports. The per capita exports of the United Kingdom are about twice those of France, Gerumny. or the United States; but it must be remembered that the last two countries arc growing in population more rapid- ly, and the absolute values of their exports are gaining on those of Great Britain. From a Gov- ernment investigation it was found that, during the period 18S4 to 180,5. though the value of the jnoducts of the United Kingtlom imported into other countries increased enormously, yet their relative importance diminished in every instance, as will be seen from the following table: decades of the nineteenth centviry. At first cotton was obtained from Brazil and the West Indies, but during the last century the bulk of it has been sujiplied by the United States, although Kgypt now shares largelj- in the supply. The importation of cotton from India, which became prominent during the Civil War in the United States, is now of quite minor importance. (See India.) At the beginning of the nineteenth cen- tury the exports of metal products were still small, but they rapidly increased, the iron and steel exports attaining the highest figures (£37,- 731,000) in 1873. During the last decade of the nineteenth century the average annual export was near £25.000.000. As the British iron-mines be- come more difficult to woriv, and superior ores are found in other countries, the imports of iron ore COUNTRIES European countries, excluding Austria-Hungarj Eg.viit United States, .r^entina, Uruguay, Chile China Japan .' British posaessions Proportion of imports from the United Kingdom Average of 1884-85 18 39 20 25 45 54 Average of 1893-95 16 34 24 18 33 62 Total imports from all countries .Average of 1884^85 701.000,000 9.000,000 1C4-,000.000 22.000.000 6.000,000 194,000,000 Average of 1893-95 777,000,000 9.000,000 196.000,000 29,000,000 13,000,000 216,000,000 The following table shows the relative impor- tance and the tendencies in the trade of the Unit- ed Kingdom and the United States with other countries. The point of greatest significance re- vealed is the relative gain to the United .States and the loss to the United Kingdom in the trade with European countries : mav be exjieeted to increase. These imports in l!)do were valued at £5,039,000. Other metals, copper, tin, and lead, are almo.st equal to iron in value as imports, but of much less value as exports. Xo other article of export has increased in value so rapidl.v in recent years as coal. The alue of the exported product doubled during the COUNTHIES European countries, excluding United Kingdom and Austria-Hungary Egypt American countries, viz.: Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile China Japan British possessions Imports from United King- Imports from United States, Imports from United King- Imports from United .States, dom, average of 1884-85 average of 18S4iS5 dom, average of 1893-95 average ot 1893-95 % % 7o % 18 39 6 1 16 34 9 0.5 35 25 45 54 8 3 9 8.6 39 18 33 52 8 4 8 8.5 Prior to the reign of Elizabeth, wool constitut- ed the bulk of English exports, while manufac- tures of wool and other manufactured products constituted most of the imports. But the great increase in the manufacture of wool at home soon made England a shipper of the manufactured product, and this instead of the raw wool became the leading export. With the great development in sheep-raising in the British colonies, wool came to be extensively imported, and the manufactures and exports greatly increased. The exports of woolen and worsted manufactures, however, reached their maximum (£21,300,000) in 1880, and have since declined materially (£15.(i8'2.000 in 1900). Cotton manufactures did not figure among exported products prior to the industrial revolution. But in 1802 they exceeded the exports of woolen goods, and rapidly increased until they were three times the value of the latter, and made up the largest single item of exportation. Raw cotton likewise became the greatest item of importation. The value of exports of cotton goods has remained about stationary for the last decade of 1891-1900, being £38,619.000 in the latter year, and ranking next to cotton manu- factures in importance. Prominent among the causes of the prepon- derating increase of British imports over ex- jjorts are the increasing demands of a growing population for food pioducts, and the failure of the domestic production to meet the demand. The imports of grain increased in value from £34.160.000 in 1870 to £58,942,000 in 1900. and the relative increase in meats and animal prod- ucts was decidedly greater. 0f the grain articles, wheat and flour constituted over half the total, over two-thirds of which was from the United States. Corn is next in importance, a similar ))roportion having been supplied by the United States. Sugar originally came almost wholly from England's W'est Indian possessions, but the bounty-produced beet-sugar of the Continent has recently taken its place. Tea has long been the principal import from the British East Indian possessions, and lumlier from Canada. Until the Boer War gold bullion had for a few years