come one of the chief sources of income of the Swiss people, and
the latter profit by the transaction to the amount of about forty
million dollars a year.

About all the raw material used in manufacture must be imported. The
cotton is purchased mainly from the United States, and enters by way of
Marseille. The raw silk is purchased from Italy, China, and Japan. Coal,
sugar, food-stuffs, and steel are purchased from Germany, and this state
supplies about half the imports. From the United States are purchased
wheat, cotton, and coal-oil.

The manufactures are intended for export. The fine cotton textiles sold
to the United States are worth far more than the raw cotton purchased
therefrom. Silk textiles, straw wares, toys, watches, jewelry, and dairy
products are leading exports. The surrounding states are the chief
buyers, and none of them competes with Switzerland to any extent in the
character of the exports.

_Geneva_, situated at the head of the Rhone Valley, is the chief trade
depot; it is noted especially for the manufacture of watches, of which
many hundred thousand are made yearly. _Zurich_ is the centre of
manufactures of textiles and fine machinery. The silk-brocade industry
is centred chiefly in this city and _Basel_.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Why did not France prosper commercially prior to the time of the
revolution of 1793?

What are the chief natural advantages of the state in favor of
commercial development?

In what ways have the natural disadvantages of Switzerland been
overcome?

How has the loss of her colonies affected the industrial development of
Spain?

Comparing Spain and Italy, which has the better situation with reference
to the Suez Canal traffic?

From the Statesman's Year-Book find the amount of foreign trade of each
state.

From the Abstract of Statistics find the trade of each one with the
United States.

FOR COLLATERAL READING AND REFERENCE

Adams's New Empire, pp. 160-168.

Fiske's Discovery of America, Vol. II, Chapter XI.

Procure for inspection specimens of raw silk and also of the choice
textile goods made in these states.

CHAPTER XXVIII

EUROPE--THE DANUBE AND BALKAN STATES

The Danube and Balkan states derive their commercial importance partly
from the large area in which bread-stuffs may be produced, and also
because the valley of the Danube has become an overland trade-route of
growing importance between the Suez Canal and the North Sea.