Imperialism, A Study, p. 40-64

Imperialism, A Study, p. 40-64

• 1. colonies are economically & politically dependent on Great Britain
• 2. Cape Colony, Natal: lacking in self government
• 3. other colonies: Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, the Channel Islands, Gibraltar, Malta
• 4. semi-tropical colonies: labor is exploited
• 5. Canada & Australia, some self government
• 6. new imperialism: annexation of tropical countries
• 7. Australia & Canada don’t want to depend on British manufactured goods.
• 8. Laos, Niger Coast Protectorate, North Borneo: do about 1,000,000 pounds of trade a year
• 9. Lancashire, cheap textiles, Birmingham, cheap metals, Sheffield: gunpowder, spirits, tobacco

Chapter III, Imperialism As An Outlet For Population

• 1.populations want a fuller & easier subsistence
• 2. as population increases, its harder to find good employment
• 3. surplus immigrants would like new land
• 4. traders, engineers, overseers are needed abroad in imperialism
• 5. British soldiers are then needed to protect British subjects
• 6. Britain has a lower population density than prosperous industrial parts of Germany
• 7. seizing new territory is expensive
• 8. if the theory that Britain is over-populated is true, and Britain’s inhabitants need imperialistically held land to settle on, why are there such few migrants to Britain’s actual colonies?
• 9. Canada, Australia, S. Africa: most heavily populated colonies
• 10. imperialism is an insignificant factor in employment
• 11. no substantial emigration to properties acquired after 1870 except the Transvaal & the Orange River
• 12. “The new Empire is even more barren for settlement than for profitable trade.”(50)

Chapter IV, Economic Parasites Of Imperialism

• 1. a small market has been obtained
• 2. rich men seeking advantage of the commonwealth
• 3. sectional interests overwhelm holistic interests
• 4. bad for the nation as a whole, good for certain business interests
• a. risks & embarrassments of foreign policy
• b. costly wars
• c. social & political reforms in Britain were halted
• d. sectional interests: enemies of the commonwealth
• e. a defensive policy might work just as well
• f. a socialist country & a laissez faire democracy would know Imperialism is not in its best interest
• g. which commercial & social interests benefit from Imperialism?
• h. enormous profits for the manufacture of war-related items
• i. new markets for exports are acquired
• j. a pushful policy is good for certain industries
• k. Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham, compete in textiles, hardware, machinery, spirits, guns,
• l. railways, canals, public works, factories, mines, improvement of agriculture stimulate manufacturing
• m. Parliament is influenced by small business interests
• n. service careers set up in India for wealthy elites
• o. “vast system of outdoor relief for the upper classes.”(56)
• p. military, clerical, academic, Civil Service opportunities are generated

II, 56

• 1. internationalization of capital
• a. growth in income from external investments
• b. taxes can be evaded abroad
• c. insurance companies, investment trusts, land mortgage companies: profitable returns on international investments
• d. 15% of Britain’s total wealth was invested abroad
• e. investment in railways, banks, telegraphs, and public services owned or managed by governments
• f. * interest exceeds profits on import/export trade
• g. *foreign & colonial trade are growing, income from foreign investment is growing
• h. the public purse is used to advance private investments + safeguard and improve existing investments (60)
• i. Britain, France, Germany, US:
• j. Britain: creditor country, US, France, Germany are advancing on the same path
• k. France tried to take over Mexico because French citizens held Mexican securities
• l. Egypt became a British province
• m. Tel-el-Kebir: battle to protect Britain’s economic interests in Egypt
• n. imperialism is injurious to the public purse & the citizen
• 1. enormous expenditures on armaments
• 2. diplomatic audacity
• o. investing/speculative classes endorse imperialism
• p. banking, broking, discounting, loan floating, company promoting
• q. Rothschild’s financed many wars
• r. investors heavily endorse imperialism
• s. Philippine island investments put $ into JP Morgan’s pockets, p. 65