30 . REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE,

by British’ management) give Great Britain excellent connections
with Canada and the United States; the Royal Mail and the Pacific
Steam Navigation Co. link it with the ports of South America;
the Peninsular &amp; Oriental, a Cunard subsidiary, the British Steam
Navigation, the Empire and allied lines reach to the Orient and
Australasia, and to the coasts of Africa and of Europe. In addition,
 thousands of British tramps and freighters find every harbor
throughout the world.
Of the total net tonnage of the 65,000 vessels that sailed from
British harbors with cargo in 1918, 59 per cent was British; and of
the total net tonnage of the 49,000 ships that entered British harbors
 with cargo in that year, 66 per cent was British. Doubtless
these percentages fairly approximate the proportion of Great
Britain’s exports and imports which are carried by ships of British
registry.

GERMANY.

About 30 years ago the German Government set about the upbuilding
 of a merchant marine as one of the essential elements in the
expansion of German trade. In pursuance of that policy, German
shipping has received much aid from the Imperial Government,
principally indirect. Shipbuilding materials have been imported
duty free and have had low freight rates from the State-owned railroads.
 Subsidies have been granted by the Government, maritime
schools maintained, and other activities prosecuted for the benefit of
German shipping. Moreover, the development of shipping business
has been constantly favored by the Imperial Government.
Direct financial aid from the Government, however, is responsible
in only a small degree for the remarkable development of the German
merchant marine. The chief factors in that development must be
sought in the great industrial revolution in Germany since 1880, with
the resultant expansion of the foreign trade, the control of much of
the emigrant traffic to the United States, the development of shipbuilding
 by reason of the low cost of iron and steel, and the low
combination rail-and-water freight rates on exports from the interior
of Germany.! Within a third of a century the merchant fleet has
risen from insignificance to second place and at the outbreak of the
war was carrying half of Germany’s exports and imports.? Tt then
comprised nearly 2,000 steamers of 4,500,000 gross tons and some 220
sailing. vessels of nearly 300,000 gross tons.
The Hamburg-American and the North German Lloyd are two
of the greatest lines in the world. Prior to the war the former with
its subsidiary, the Hamburg-South American, was maintaining
service from Germany to New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Balti-L
 Bureau of Forelgn and Domestic Commerce, Special Azents Serles 119, pp. 76-77.
? Nauticus : Jahrbuch fiir Deutschlands Seeinteressen, 1914, p. 724.