of the United States was carried in United States ships, now the
proportion is only 23 per cent. The following table shows the growth of
shipping of all kinds to and from British ports:--

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS' SHIPPING TO AND FROM PORTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.

Entries and Clearances together, in Millions of Tons.

------------+---------------------------+-----------------------------
| FOREIGN TRADE. | COASTING TRADE.
Average of +-------------+-------------+-----------------------------
Five Years. |Under British| |In this Trade practically all
| Flag. | Total. | the Shipping is British.
------------+-------------+-------------+-----------------------------
1870-74 | 28 | 42 | 38
1875-79 | 35 | 51 | 46
1880-84 | 43 | 61 | 50
1885-89 | 49 | 67 | 54
1890-94 | 55 | 75 | 58
Year 1895 | 59 | 81 | 61
------------+-------------+-------------+-----------------------------

In order to further compare our progress with the progress of other
countries the following table has been prepared to show the relative
position of the principal countries now and twenty years ago. If we
consider merely the rate of progress, the German percentage of increase
is undoubtedly better than ours. But in national life, as in individual,
it is not percentages but amounts that are important, and the table
shows that while Germany has added 6,000,000 tons to her shipping, we
have added 27,000,000 tons to ours. As long as anything similar to that
proportion is maintained we have no need to fear German rivalry.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN SHIPPING.

In Millions of Tons.

---------------------------------------------------------+-------+-------
Average Annual Entries and Clearances. |1870-74|1890-94
---------------------------------------------------------+-------+-------
British tonnage engaged in the foreign trade of the U.K. | 28 | 55
German " " " " " Germany | 4 | 10
French " " " " " France | 5 | 9
United States " " " " the U.S. | 7 | 9
---------------------------------------------------------+-------+-------

The figures for 1890-94 may be illustrated diagrammatical