136
IMPERIALISM
for it is not free competition fighting against protectionism and colonial dependence in this struggle, but two rival imperialisms, two monopolies, two groups of finance-capital. The superiority of German imperialism over British imperialism is stronger than the wall of colonial frontiers or of protective tariffs. To "conclude" from this that there is any advantage in favour of free trade and "peaceful democracy" is to forget the essential features and qualities of imperialism, is to substitute reformism for Marxism.
It is an interesting fact that even the bourgeois economic, A. Lansburg, whose critique of imperialism is as superficial as Kautsky's, nevertheless came nearer to a scientific study of the data of commercial statistics. He did not confine himself to a consideration of one country, chosen at random, and only to colonies in their relation to other countries; but he examined the export trade of an imperialist country (1) with countries which are financially dependent upon it, being its creditors; and (2) with countries which are not so dependent. He obtained the following results:
Millions of Marks | ||||||||||
1889 |
| 1908 |
| Percentage Increase | ||||||
Countries Dependent On German Finance Capital |
Roumania | ... | ... | ... | 48.2 | 70.8 | 47 pc | |||
Portugal | ... | ... | ... | 19.0 | 32.8 | 73 pc. | ||||
Argentine | ... | ... | ... | 60.7 | 147.0 | 143 pc. | ||||
Brazil | ... | ... | ... | 48.7 | 84.5 | 73 pc. | ||||
Chili | ... | ... | ... | 28.3 | 52.4 | 85 pc | ||||
Turkey | ... | ... | ... | 29.9 | 64.0 | 114 pc | ||||
Total | ... | ... | ... | 234.8 | 451.5 | 92 pc. | ||||
| ||||||||||
Countries Not Dependent On German Finance Capital |
Great Britain | ... | ... | 651.8 | 997.4 | 53 pc. | ||||
France | ... | ... | ... | 210.2 | 437.9 | 108 pc. | ||||
Belgium | ... | ... | ... | 137.2 | 322.8 | 130 pc. | ||||
Switzerland | ... | ... | 177.4 | 401.4 | 127 pc. | |||||
Australia | ... | ... | ... | 21.2 | 64.5 | 205 pc. | ||||
East Indies | ... | ... | 8.8 | 40.7 | 363 pc. | |||||
Total | ... | ... | ... | 1,206.6 | 2,264.4 | 87 pc. |