Industrial Development in Formosa

PT |^HE industrial rise of Formosa (also known as Taiwan) is a late event in the island's history. In the early decades of this century its economy was almost entirely agricultural. Rice, sugar, tea, and fruits were sent to Japan, the governing nation, in exchange for fertilizer, textiles, and other manufactured products; and the island had developed related industries such as the production of crude sugar and canning and processing. Then, in 1932, the Japanese began more intensive development of the island. Schools were established, railroads and highways were built, harbors were improved, hydroelectric power was developed, and heavy industries were launched. By 1937 exports and imports were double the 1933 figures and per capita foreign trade was close to the highest in the Far East. The ports of Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south and their surrounding areas had become highly industrialized. Except for the fact that Formosa's economy was tied to Japan's with respect to the final fabrication of certain metal products and that the island was

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