war of the classes-第14部分

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（41；000；000　francs）；　was　subscribed　for　twenty…three　times　over。

Great　Britain；　France；　Germany；　Holland；　and　the　Scandinavian

States；　of　recent　years；　have　all　engaged　in　converting　their

securities　from　5　per　cents　to　4　per　cents；　from　4。5　per　cents　to

3。5　per　cents；　and　the　3。5　per　cents　into　3　per　cents。



Great　Britain；　France；　Germany；　and　Austria…Hungary；　according　to

the　calculation　taken　in　1895　by　the　International　Statistical

Institute；　hold　forty…six　billions　of　capital　invested　in　negotiable

securities　alone。　　Yet　Paris　subscribed　for　her　portion　of　the　Greek

loan　twenty…three　times　over！　　In　short；　money　is　cheap。　　Andrew

Carnegie　and　his　brother　bourgeois　kings　give　away　millions

annually；　but　still　the　tide　wells　up。　　These　vast　accumulations

have　made　possible　〃wild…catting；〃　fraudulent　combinations；　fake

enterprises；　Hooleyism；　but　such　stealings；　great　though　they　be；

have　little　or　no　effect　in　reducing　the　volume。　　The　time　is　past

when　startling　inventions；　or　revolutions　in　the　method　of

production；　can　break　up　the　growing　congestion；　yet　this　saved

capital　demands　an　outlet；　somewhere；　somehow。



When　a　great　nation　has　equipped　itself　to　produce　far　more　than　it

can；　under　the　present　division　of　the　product；　consume；　it　seeks

other　markets　for　its　surplus　products。　　When　a　second　nation　finds

itself　similarly　circumstanced；　competition　for　these　other　markets

naturally　follows。　　With　the　advent　of　a　third；　a　fourth；　a　fifth；

and　of　divers　other　nations；　the　question　of　the　disposal　of　surplus

products　grows　serious。　　And　with　each　of　these　nations　possessing；

over　and　beyond　its　active　capital；　great　and　growing　masses　of　idle

capital；　and　when　the　very　foreign　markets　for　which　they　are

competing　are　beginning　to　produce　similar　wares　for　themselves；　the

question　passes　the　serious　stage　and　becomes　critical。



Never　has　the　struggle　for　foreign　markets　been　sharper　than　at　the

present。　　They　are　the　one　great　outlet　for　congested　accumulations。

Predatory　capital　wanders　the　world　over；　seeking　where　it　may

establish　itself。　　This　urgent　need　for　foreign　markets　is　forcing

upon　the　world…stage　an　era　of　great　colonial　empire。　　But　this　does

not　stand；　as　in　the　past；　for　the　subjugation　of　peoples　and

countries　for　the　sake　of　gaining　their　products；　but　for　the

privilege　of　selling　them　products。　　The　theory　once　was；　that　the

colony　owed　its　existence　and　prosperity　to　the　mother　country；　but

today　it　is　the　mother　country　that　owes　its　existence　and

prosperity　to　the　colony。　　And　in　the　future；　when　that　supporting

colony　becomes　wise　in　the　way　of　producing　surplus　value　and　sends

its　goods　back　to　sell　to　the　mother　country；　what　then？　　Then　the

world　will　have　been　exploited；　and　capitalistic　production　will

have　attained　its　maximum　development。



Foreign　markets　and　undeveloped　countries　largely　retard　that

moment。　　The　favored　portions　of　the　earth's　surface　are　already

occupied；　though　the　resources　of　many　are　yet　virgin。　　That　they

have　not　long　since　been　wrested　from　the　hands　of　the　barbarous　and

decadent　peoples　who　possess　them　is　due；　not　to　the　military

prowess　of　such　peoples；　but　to　the　jealous　vigilance　of　the

industrial　nations。　　The　powers　hold　one　another　back。　　The　Turk

lives　because　the　way　is　not　yet　clear　to　an　amicable　division　of

him　among　the　powers。　　And　the　United　States；　supreme　though　she　is；

opposes　the　partition　of　China；　and　intervenes　her　huge　bulk　between

the　hungry　nations　and　the　mongrel　Spanish　republics。　　Capital

stands　in　its　own　way；　welling　up　and　welling　up　against　the

inevitable　moment　when　it　shall　burst　all　bonds　and　sweep

resistlessly　across　such　vast　stretches　as　China　and　South　America。

And　then　there　will　be　no　more　worlds　to　exploit；　and　capitalism

will　either　fall　back；　crushed　under　its　own　weight；　or　a　change　of

direction　will　take　place　which　will　mark　a　new　era　in　history。



The　Far　East　affords　an　illuminating　spectacle。　　While　the　Western

nations　are　crowding　hungrily　in；　while　the　Partition　of　China　is

commingled　with　the　clamor　for　the　Spheres　of　Influence　and　the　Open

Door；　other　forces　are　none　the　less　potently　at　work。　　Not　only　are

the　young　Western　peoples　pressing　the　older　ones　to　the　wall；　but

the　East　itself　is　beginning　to　awake。　　American　trade　is　advancing；

and　British　trade　is　losing　ground；　while　Japan；　China；　and　India

are　taking　a　hand　in　the　game　themselves。



In　1893；　100；000　pieces　of　American　drills　were　imported　into　China；

in　1897；　349；000。　　In　1893；　252；000　pieces　of　American　sheetings

were　imported　against　71；000　British；　but　in　1897；　566；000　pieces　of

American　sheetings　were　imported　against　only　10；000　British。　　The

cotton　goods　and　yarn　trade　（which　forms　40　per　cent　of　the　whole

trade　with　China）　shows　a　remarkable　advance　on　the　part　of　the

United　States。　　During　the　last　ten　years　America　has　increased　her

importation　of　plain　goods　by　121　per　cent　in　quantity　and　59。5　per

cent　in　value；　while　that　of　England　and　India　combined　has

decreased　13。75　per　cent　in　quantity　and　8　per　cent　in　value。　　Lord

Charles　Beresford；　from　whose　〃Break…up　of　China〃　these　figures　are

taken；　states　that　English　yarn　has　receded　and　Indian　yarn　advanced

to　the　front。　　In　1897；　140；000　piculs　of　Indian　yarn　were　imported；

18；000　of　Japanese；　4500　of　Shanghai…manufactured；　and　700　of

English。



Japan；　who　but　yesterday　emerged　from　the　mediaeval　rule　of　the

Shogunate　and　seized　in　one　fell　swoop　the　scientific　knowledge　and

culture　of　the　Occident；　is　already　today　showing　what　wisdom　she

has　acquired　in　the　production　of　surplus　value；　and　is　preparing

herself　that　she　may　tomorrow　play　the　part　to　Asia　that　England　did

to　Europe　one　hundred　years　ago。　　That　the　difference　in　the　world's

affairs　wrought　by　those　one　hundred　years　will　prevent　her

succeeding　is　manifest；　but　it　is　equally　manifest　that　they　cannot

prevent　her　playing　a　leading　part　in　the　industrial　drama　which　has

commenced　on　the　Eastern　stage。　　Her　imports　into　the　port　of

Newchang　in　1891　amounted　to　but　22；000　taels；　but　in　1897　they　had

increased　to　280；000　taels。　　In　manufactured　goods；　from　matches；

watches；　and　clocks　to　the　rolling　stock　of　railways；　she　has

already　given　stiff　shocks　to　her　competitors　in　the　Asiatic

markets；　and　this　while　she　is　virtually　yet　in　the　equipment　stage

of　production。　　Erelong　she；　too；　will　be　furnishing　her　share　to

the　growing　mass　of　the　world's　capital。



As　regards　Great　Britain；　the　giant　trader　who　has　so　long

overshadowed　Asiatic　commerce；　Lord　Charles　Beresford　says：　　〃But

competition　is　telling　adversely；　the　energy　of　the　British　merchant

is　being　equalled　by　other　nationals。　。　。　The　competition　of　the

Chinese　and　the　introduction　of　steam　into　the　country　are　also

combining　to　produce　changed　conditions　in　China。〃　　But　far　more

ominous　is　the　plaintive　note　he　sounds　when　he　says：　　〃New

industries　must　be　opened　up；　and　I　would　especially　direct　the

attention　of　the　Chambers　of　Commerce　（British）　to　。　。　。　the　fact

that　the　more　the　native　competes　with　the　British　manufacturer　in

certain　classes　of　trade；　the　more　machinery　he　will　need；　and　the

orders　for　such　machinery　will　come　to　this　country　if　our　machinery

manufacturers　are　enterprising　enough。〃



The　Orient　is　beginning　to　show　what　an　important　factor　it　will

become；　under　Western　supervision；　in　the　creation　of　surplus　value。

Even　before　the　barriers　which　restrain　Western　capital　are　removed；

the　East　will　be　in　a　fair　way　toward　being　exploited。　　An　analysis

of　Lord　Beresford's　message　to　the　Chambers　of　Commerce　discloses；

first；　that　the　East　is　beginning　to　manufacture　for　itself；　and；

second；　that　there　is　a　promise　of　keen　competition　in　the　West　for

the　privilege　of　selling　the　required　machinery。　　The　inexorable

query　arises：　　WHAT　IS　THE　WEST　TO　DO　WHEN　IT　HAS　FURNISHED　THIS

MACHINERY？　　And　when　not　only　the　East；　but　all　the　now　undeveloped

countries；　confront；　with　surplus　products　in　their　hands；　the　old

industrial　nations；　capitalistic　production　will　have　attained　its

maximum　development。



But　before　that　time　must　intervene　a　period　which　bids　one　pause

for　breath。　　A　new　romance；　like　unto　none　in　all　the　past；　the

economic　romance；　will　be　born。　　For　the　dazzling　prize　of　world…

empire　will　the　nations　of　the　earth　go　up　in　harness。　　Powers　will

rise　and　fall；　and　mighty　coalitions　shape　and　dissolve　in　the　swift

whirl　of　events。　　Vassal　nations　and　subject　territories　will　be

bandied　back　and　forth　like　so　many　articles　of　trade。　　And　with　the

inevitable　displacement　of　economic　centres；　it　is　fair　to　presume

that　populations　will　shift　to　and　fro；　as　they　once　did　from　the

South　to　the　North　of　England　on　the　rise　of　the　factory　towns；　or

from　the　Old　World　to　the　New。　　Colossal　enterprises　will　be

projected　and　carried　through；　and　combinations　of　capital　and

federations　of　labor　be　effected　on　a　cyclopean　scale。

Concentration　and　organization　will　be　perfected　in　ways　hitherto

undreamed。　　The　nation　which　would　keep　its　head　above　the　tide　must

accurately　adjust　supply　to　demand；　and　eliminate　waste　to　the　last

least　particle。　　Standards　of　living　will　most　likely　descend　for

millions　of　people。　　With　the　increase　of　capital；　the　competition

for　safe　investments；　and　the　consequent　fall　of　the　interest　rate；

the　principal　which　today　earns　a　comfortable　income　would　not　then

support　a　bare　existence。　　Saving　toward　old　age　would　cease　among

the　working　classes。　　And　as　the　merchant　cities　of　Italy　crashed

when　trade　slipped　from　their　hands　on　the　discovery　of　the　new

route　to　the　Indies　by　way　of　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　so　will　there

come　times　of　trembling　for　such　nations　as　have　failed　to　grasp　the

prize　of　world…empire。　　In　that　given　direction　they　will　have

atta