▁crisis ▁over ▁the ▁Carol ines ▁with ▁Spain , ▁which ▁almost ▁prov oked ▁a ▁war , ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁" a ▁fe int ▁to ▁cover ▁the ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Islands ", ▁which ▁went ▁almost ▁un not iced ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁despite ▁the ▁islands ▁being ▁the ▁largest ▁source ▁of ▁cop ra ▁in ▁Mic ron esia . ▁Germany ▁officially ▁purchased ▁the ▁islands ▁from ▁Spain ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 5 , ▁after ▁a ▁dispute ▁over ▁commercial ▁and ▁territorial ▁claims ▁in ▁Mic ron esia ; ▁Na uru ▁was ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁German ▁prote ctor ate ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 . ▁ ▁A ▁new ▁German ▁trad ing ▁company , ▁the ▁J al uit ▁Gesellschaft , ▁ ▁was ▁formed ▁via ▁a ▁mer ger ▁of ▁all ▁German ▁trad ing ▁interests , ▁and ▁admin ister ed ▁the ▁islands ▁from ▁ 1 8 8 7 ▁until ▁ 1 9 0 6 . ▁With ▁a ▁trad ing ▁mon opol y , ▁they ▁pushed ▁out ▁American ▁and ▁British ▁competition ▁and ▁cons cript ed ▁ ▁island ers ▁as ▁labor ers . ▁Cop ra ▁became ▁the ▁dominant ▁industry ▁of ▁the ▁islands , ▁and ▁a ▁head ▁tax ▁of ▁cop ra ▁was ▁instit uted , ▁with ▁the ▁I ro ij ▁task ed ▁with ▁collect ing ▁the ▁tax ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁a ▁share ▁of ▁the ▁cop ra . ▁After ▁the ▁German – Span ish ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁in ▁which ▁Germany ▁acquired ▁the ▁Carol ines , ▁Pal au , ▁and ▁the ▁Marian as ▁from ▁Spain , ▁Germany ▁placed ▁all