The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-30
GREATNESS OF THE NATIONS
Recent Figures Which Challenge
England's Claim TO Precedence.

From the New York Sun.
1t has been the boast of English
men that Queen Victoria. the senior
in respect of period of official service
among the monarchS of tHe world, rules
over not only "a larger erea of national
dominion and colonies, but also over
a larger number of subjects than any
other ruler of government in the
world. The British empire, it has been
said. extends to every part of the globe,
and the sun never sets upon Queen
Victoria's realm. The basis of this
claim of precedence among govern
ments has been found in figures which
give the territorial area of the British
empire as 1l.000,00C square miles, and
the population of Great Britain and
colonies as SSl 900, 900. Following the
British empire, in respect of popu.at on,
came, in the order named. first China,
then Russia. the United States, with
Germany and France following.
More recent figures, however, seem
to change this. for they show the total
population of the British empire (not
officially computed since the census Of
lS9D to now be 367, 100000, while the
population of China, or more properly
of the Chinese Empire, by late and
authentic figures, is iO2 000, ,000 or 35,-
600, 900 greater. Great Britain in respect
of population, theI efOre, ranks second
to China, and the readjustment Of
England's sovereignty in South Africl
is likely, later an, To curtail rather Than
to increase the present claims of the
British statisticans. The total popu-
latiOn Of Russia, and of Russian dep n
dencies was, by the last estimate made
in St. Petersburg. l15,00O,0 900. for a very
long time to come Great Britain seems
to be assured, without rivalry, of the
second place. The present populatiCn n
OF the United States is something in
excess of 12.0o0.UJ0 and the position OF
the United States as fourth in p gpula-
ton among the countries of the world
is not likely to be disputed. either. for
many years.
Territorially. Great Britain has long
made the claim to be first among the
governments of the world and tn
English statisticians in 1889 made claim
to more than l.OO0,O00 square miles of
land under the rule of the government.
at Westminster. The largest itcm of
this prodigious empire was not either
India or Australia. but the Nnrthw st
Territory, so called, of North Amer
lea, the sparsely populated and unpgo-
ductive regions of upper North Amer
lea. north of Canada and British col
umbia and south of the Alaska ANA
Greenland line. This northwestern ter-
rtory stands on the official records OF
| the English census reports. for $500. -
| 600 square miles. which if deducted
from Great Britian's total would nut
| that empire second among the govern
| ments Of the world. Russia being first.
The area of the Russian E,mpre. as
last computed is S,dUo 900 square M lc4
| China follows third with I.0o,O0J am,
| the United States fourth with 30OJ, unt
| square miles. exclusive of Alaska. The
! total area of Alaska is 600. 900 SQUARE
| miles, or nearly one-tifth as large aS
| the United States. Following the t'nit.
| ed States in point of territorial ar "A
| comes Brazil, and then the French lc.
| public and its colonies. which have Ltcl
| increasing at lively rate since tn
close of the Franco-German war Roth
| in Asia and Africa there has been a
| great increase in the French colonial
possessions during the past twanty
years, and the population Of these col
onies exclusive Of Algeria) has in.
| creased in that time from .;.OOO. 900 T.
/ u 900. 900.