Nevertheless, the rapid expansion of German financial interests in the Near East and the established policy of the German banks to encourage and assist export trade were factors in a remarkable development of German trade in the Ottoman Empire, as will be indicated by the following table:[28] EXPORTS FROM IMPORTS TO TURKEY TO TURKEY FROM YEAR GERMANY—MARKS GERMANY—MARKS 1900 30,400,000 34,400,000 1901 30,000,000 37,500,000 1902 36,500,000 43,300,000 1903 37,700,000 50,200,000 1904 43,500,000 75,300,000 1905 51,600,000 71,000,000 1906 55,000,000 68,200,000 1907 55,100,000 81,500,000 1908 47,600,000 64,000,000 1909 57,300,000 78,900,000 1910 67,400,000 104,900,000 1911 70,100,000 112,800,000 This table eloquently describes the nature of the advance of German economic interests in Turkey. It does not, however, tell the whole story. Was this advance the result of a general increase of prosperity in the Ottoman Empire in which the Germans shared in common with other traders? Or was the increase in German trade out of proportion to the progress of other nationals—perhaps at the expense of the French and British? The following tables will help answer these questions:[29] EXPORTS FROM TURKEY TO UNITED TO AUSTRIA KINGDOM TO FRANCE TO ITALY HUNGARY YEAR MARKS MARKS MARKS MARKS 1900 118,760,000 86,220,000 22,520,000 35,220,000 1901 122,000,000 26,120,000 31,540,000 1902 130,520,000 83,040,000 28,980,000 35,580,000 1903 127,400,000 81,200,000 38,120,000 39,900,000 1904 122,760,000 73,120,000 31,300,000 39,120,000 1905 118,960,000 80,780,000 42,240,000 37,640,000 1906 129,440,000 91,600,000 45,100,000 39,300,000 1907 136,600,000 95,320,000 50,480,000 34,640,000 1908 109,220,000 70,760,000 44,580,000 34,360,000 1909 109,320,000 79,000,000 59,080,000 36,600,000 1910 100,660,000 77,000,000 48,000,000 43,340,000 IMPORTS TO TURKEY FROM FROM UNITED FROM AUSTRIA KINGDOM FRANCE FROM ITALY HUNGARY YEAR MARKS MARKS MARKS MARKS