A vigorous German consular and diplomatic system ought to beestablished in these quarters, the branches of which should enterinto correspondence with one another.Young explorers should beencouraged to travel through these countries and make impartialreports upon them.Young merchants should be encouraged to inspectthem -- young medical men to go and practise there.Companiesshould be founded and supported by actual share subscription, andtaken under special protection, which companies should be formed inthe German seaports in order to buy large tracts of land in thosecountries and to settle them with German colonists -- companies forcommerce and navigation, whose object should be to open new marketsin those countries for German manufactures and to establish linesof steamships -- mining companies, whose object should be to devoteGerman knowledge and industry to winning the great mineral wealthof those countries.In every possible way the Zollverein ought toendeavour to gain the good-will of the population and also of thegovernments of those countries, and especially to promote by thatmeans public security means of communication, and public order;indeed, one ought not to hesitate, in case one could by that meansput the governments of those countries under obligation to us, alsoto assist them by sending an important auxiliary corps.
A similar policy ought to be followed in reference to the East-- to European Turkey and the Lower Danubian territories.Germanyhas an immeasurable interest that security and order should befirmly established in those countries, and in no direction so muchas in this is the emigration of Germans so easy for individuals toaccomplish, or so advantageous for the nation.A man dwelling bythe Upper Danube could transport himself to Moldavia and Wallachia,to Servia, or also to the south-western shores of the Black Sea,for one-fifth part of the expenditure of money and time which arerequisite for his emigration to the shores of Lake Erie.Whatattracts him to the latter more than to the former is, the greaterdegree of liberty, security, and order which prevails in thelatter.But under the existing circumstances of Turkey it ought notto be impossible to the German states, in alliance with Austria, toexercise such an influence on the improvement of the publiccondition of those countries, that the German colonist should nolonger feel himself repelled from them, especially if thegovernments themselves would found companies for colonisation, takepart in them themselves, and grant them continually their specialprotection.
In the meantime it is clear that settlements of this kind couldonly have a specially beneficial effect on the industry of thestates of the Zollverein, if no obstacles were placed in the way ofthe exchange of German manufactured goods for the agriculturalproduce of the colonists, and if that exchange was promoted bycheap and rapid means of communication.Hence it is to the interestof the states of the Zollverein, that Austria should facilitate asmuch as possible the through traffic on the Danube, and that steamnavigation on the Danube should be roused to vigorous activity --consequently that it should at the outset be actually subsidised bythe Governments.
Especially, nothing is so desirable as that the Zollverein andAustria at a later period, after the industry of the Zollvereinstates has been better developed and has been placed in a positionof greater equality to that of Austria, should make, by means of atreaty, reciprocal concessions in respect to their manufacturedproducts.
After the conclusion of such a treaty, Austria would have anequal interest with the states of the Zollverein in making theTurkish provinces available for the benefit of their manufacturingindustry and of their foreign commerce.
In anticipation of the inclusion in the Zollverein of theGerman seaports and Holland, it would be desirable that Prussiashould now make a commencement by the adoption of a Germancommercial flag, and by laying the foundation for a future Germanfleet, and that she should try whether and how German colonies canbe founded in Australia, New Zealand, or in or on other islands ofAustralasia.
The means for such attempts and commencements, and for theundertakings and subventions which we have previously recommendedas desirable, must be acquired in the same way in which England andFrance have acquired the means of supporting their foreign commerceand their colonisation and of maintaining their powerful fleets,namely, by imposing duties on the imports of colonial produce.
United action, order, and energy could be infused into thesemeasures of the Zollverein, if the Zollverein states would assignthe direction of them in respect to the North and transmarineaffairs to Prussia, and in respect to the Danube and Orientalaffairs to Bavaria.An addition of ten per cent to the presentimport duties on manufactures and colonial produce would at presentplace one million and a half per annum at the disposal of theZollverein.And as it may be expected with certainty, as a resultof the continual increase in the export of manufactured goods, thatin the course of time consumption of colonial produce in the statesof the Zollverein will increase to double and treble its presentamount, and consequently their customs revenue will increase inlike proportion, sufficient provision will be made for satisfyingthe requirements above mentioned, if the states of the Zollvereinestablish the principle that over and above the addition of ten percent a part also of all future increase in import duties should beplaced at the disposal of the Prussian Government to be expendedfor these objects.
As regards the establishment of a German transport system, andespecially of a German system of railways, we beg to refer to awork of our own which specially treats of that subject.This greatenterprise will pay for itself, and all that is required of theGovernments can be expressed in one word, and that is -- ENERGY.
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