e the basis for a
population which is bound to increase during the coming decades.

How great our friction with Europe is to be will depend on whether our
economic development in the main is to {174} consist of activities
which impinge upon those of the great industrial countries or of
activities which do not so impinge, whether for example, five per cent.
or thirty per cent. of our people are to be engaged in industries which
actively compete in foreign markets with the industries of Europe.
Certain of our economic activities are for us pacific in tendency,
inasmuch as they do not affect industrial Europe or actually benefit
her. Of such a nature is agriculture. Every added bushel of wheat or
bale of cotton raised in the United States improves the chances of
European industry, lessens our competition with Europe and increases
our market for European wares. The same is largely true of our
production of copper, gold, silver, petroleum and other natural
products. Upon these extractive enterprises, including coal and iron
ore, is based a vast manufacturing industry which supplies our home
population, and an immense transportation and commercial system which
has its roots in our home resources. Our railroads do not appreciably
compete with those of England and Germany; on the contrary the
industrial progress of those countries is hastened by the development
of our transportation system, which cheapens their food and raw
materials. On the other hand a development of the American carrying
trade, a growth of ship-building, shipping and export trade, however
necessary or desirable, trenches immediately upon British and German
shipbuilding, carrying and export trade, and leads directly and
inevitably to economic conflict.[2]

{175}

The dependence of our economic mutuality with Europe upon our
agriculture may be illustrated by an hypothesis. Assume that our
agricultural products were permanently cut in half while our population
remained constant. We should have no food to export and would be
obliged to import food. Millions of men would be forced out of
agriculture into manufacturing industries, and as the home demand for
these industries would be lessened a foreign market would be essential.
Our railroad traffic would diminish, and railroad workers, thrown out
of employment, would enter the export trade. We should be forced to
secure foreign markets, and if political pressure were necessary, it
would be forthcomin