tropics will begin in earnest, and
wealth undreamed of now be realized.

The opening of the undeveloped countries means a continuing increase
of wealth to the nations that take advantage of the opportunity,
and a corresponding backsliding to those nations that fail. It
means over all the ocean an increasing number of steamers. It means
the continuing increase of manufacturing in manufacturing countries,
and the increasing enjoyment in them of the good things of all the
world. It means in the undeveloped countries an increasing use
of the conveniences and luxuries of civilization and an increasing
possession of money or its equivalent. It means, throughout all
the world, an increase of what we call "Wealth."

In discussing a subject so great as sea trade, while it may be
considered presumptuous to look fifty years ahead, it can hardly
be denied that we ought at least to try to look that far ahead.
To look fifty years ahead, is, after all, not taking in a greater
interval of time than fifty years back; and it certainly seems
reasonable to conclude that, if a certain line of progress has
been going on for fifty years in a perfectly straight line, and
with a vigor which is increasing very fast and shows no sign of
change, the same general line of progress will probably keep up
for another fifty years. If we try to realize what this means, we
shall probably fail completely and become dazed by the prospect.
We cannot possibly picture accurately or even clearly to ourselves
any definite conditions of fifty years hence; but we certainly are
warranted in concluding that by the end of fifty years, practically
all of the countries of the world, including Africa, will be open
to trade from one end to the other; that the volume of trade will
be at least ten times as great as it is now; that the means of
communication over the water and through the air will be very much
better than now; and that there will be scores of appliances, methods,
and processes in general use of which we have, as yet, no inkling,
and cannot even imagine.

Now let us call to mind the accepted proverb that "Competition is
the life of trade," and this will make us see that, accompanying
this stupendous trade, extending over, and into, every corner of
the world, there will be stupendous competition, involving in a
vast and complicated net, every red-blooded nation of the earth.

We seem safe in concluding, therefore, that the importance of naval
power will