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This chart will serve the double purpose of
showing that neither in new countries nor in
untried issues is it possible to absolutely rely
on any theory as to price-movements. It will
also be seen from this chart that the solid
fixed Income stocks like Tokyo City Bonds
and Imperial 5 per Cent. Consolidated Loan
indicate the movement, but that the specu
lative ventures, the scope of which is not
fully understood by the public, do not follow
it, but mark out price-movements of their
own. In spite of the stocks following a
speculative course of their own, irrespective
of the course of national trade, there is an
undeniable general tendency among all of
them to move together.
We have now established the fact that
it is impossible for any investor safely to
invest his capital in any one country. It is
true that by limiting his investment area to
small local stocks an investor might succeed
in purchasing a number of securities which
were free from the fluctuations due to trade
influence. But stocks of this stamp are
attended by all the grave drawbacks of
companies which are managed by a small
clique. The shareholders are either friends or
others with common business interests. Lor
example, if a company be created to carry on