218 SELLING LATIN AMERICA 
had vessels in which to convey it to the 
markets across the seas. With the exorbitant 
freight rates which were beginning to be 
charged, as cargoes multiplied and ships be 
came scarce, it became obvious that all this 
newly secured trade would be seriously jeopar 
dized, if not completely lost, unless the entire 
situation was under the absolute control of the 
Government and in the hands of the German 
people. Accordingly the State took up the 
question, and to make a long story short, the 
result was the development of the enormous 
German merchant marine,—perhaps the most 
complete and perfect in the world—with sub 
sidies from the national treasury, which en 
abled ship owners to quote a freight rate per 
ton so low, that it was cheaper to ship German 
made goods from Hamburg to Valparaiso, 
than from Hamburg to many of the interior 
cities of the Fatherland for home consumption. 
This last stroke of generalship in this business 
campaign for commercial supremacy gave 
Germany the greatest impetus toward reach 
ing the goal upon which her eyes were fixed,