The following list indicates some of the chief articles of
trade between the two countries:

German Imports into the United | British Exports to Germany, 1912
Kingdom, 1912. |
|
L million. | L million.
Sugar 6.2 | Cottons and yarn 8.3
Cottons and yarn 5.9 | Woollens and yarn 6.6
Iron and steel and | Coal, coke, etc. 4.4
manufactures 5.7 | Herrings 2.4
Woollens and yarn 2.6 | Ironwork 2.1
Machinery 2.4 | Machinery 2.1
Glass and Manufactures 1.1 |

It is not true, as Dr. R.G. Usher says, that Germany is "literally
self-sufficing" (_Pan Germanism_, p. 65).]

In Great Britain, economic activity has been developed on the assumption
of continued peace. In Germany, however, though there were those who
would "base all economic policy on an imaginary permanent peace,"[1] the
Government has had in view the possibility of war. "Every conscientious
Government," writes von Buelow, "seeks to avoid [war] so long as the honour
and vital interests of the nation permit of so doing. But every State
department should be organised as if war were going to break out tomorrow.
This applies to economic policy as well."[2] It is with this idea in mind
that the German Government has striven to maintain the importance of
agriculture. "Economic policy must foster peaceful development; but it must
keep in view the possibility of war, and, for this reason above all, must
be agrarian in the best sense of the word."[3] It is held that in the
event of war the home market in Germany would be an important factor in
maintaining intact the fabric of industry. "The home market," we are told,
"is ... of very great importance. It would be called upon to replace the
foreign market if in time of war our national frontiers should be wholly
or partly closed. But in the home market agriculture is by far the most
important customer of industry; only if agriculture is able to buy, if
it earns enough itself to enable others to earn too, will it be able, in
critical times, to consume a part of the products which cannot be disposed
of abroad. The old proverb, "If the peasant has money then every one else
has too," is literally true, as soon as industry is forced, to a greater
extent than is necessary in times of peace