The times., 1901-05-19
The Problems of CoIoni=ntion.

in the preface the author advocates the
establishment of a Colonial West Point.
which shall train men for-the government
of colonies. The book itself deals with the
colonies of all nations in a fairly unpre-
JUDGED and intelligent way. though the
subject is really too big to be done jus
tice 10 without a larger and more care
fully written book. Spain's colonial en-
pire naturally occupies several chapters;
German. Portuguese. Dutch, Scandinavian,
Chinese, Danish, Russian. and English
colonization are taken up in turn; there
is a chapter on The Negro as an Element
in Colonial Expansion" another on the
question Of the fitness of the Tropics for
tie residence of white men. and finally,
there are about fifty pages Of philosophic
reflections on the possibilities Of American
colonization and the general principles of
the work.
The history Of Spanish colonization,
which is briefly given, contains little
which will not be familiar to the public,
for the subject has been quite thoroughly
DISCUSSED in print during the last three
yeEs Mr.. Bieelow does not think that
the Spanish-American countries have any
great affection for US, but is rather of the
opinion that their sympathies would be
with Spain in case o. any difficulty. He
says:
The same feeling that impels the
New Englander to visit the birth
place of Shakespeare and gaze with
awe at the venerable parchment of the
Magma Charta induces the republican
citizen Of Buenos Ayres or Mexico 10
visit the home of CerVantes and
climb the lofty flights of the Escu-
rial.
''The Spanish-American colonist is,
after all, a Spaniard, and let us not
forget that, in the many efforts now
making for realizing Pan-Amerlcan
ideals.
"The books that feed his mind. the
periodicals that entertain his family,
the news that is dearest to him, the
visits that he appreciates moSt-theSe
are not things of New York, London,
or Hamburg. but of old Spain. The am
bilious diplomatist of Spanish-Amer-
lea knows the relative commercial i'm
portance OF the different great powers,
but the court at which he appears
with greatest satisfaction TO himself
land his wifel is the court of Madrid.
We in America, OF the North, are
apt to think that the Spanish-Ameri-
can holds US in affection-is in some
mysterious way part OF our big
Western Hemisphere family life. That
is true to a very limited eXtent-an
extent vastly more limited than many
OF our statesmen are willing to admit
The Spanish-AmeTican is not unwilling
to recognize that in times past Amer
lean political eXpediency made it ad-
visable that Spain should lose her col
onies-just as in Ia France found II
to her interest TO take sides with
George Washington against George
III. We We're grateful to France then,
and we still demonstrate effuSiVely
when reference is made to Lafayette
at a Fourth Of July banquet But SEN
Iiment Of this kind did not prevent
the United States and France from be
ing at war during the life OF Washing
ton-nor did ii prevent Napoleon III
from seeking &c destroy the American
Union during our civil war.
When it comes to German colonization.
Mr. Bigelow is not much more encourag-
ing than when he talks of that of Spain.
He quotes a German who declared that
in trying to settle in German East Africa
he was 'choked by red tape" This man
went on to say:
- was not regarded as an intelligent
member Of the community, but as one
who was TO be ordered about by Of
hcials-as though ! were a peasant re-
cruit
MOI il is impossible vet to do any
thing in q German colony-there is too
much government. Instead of getting
the best man and paying him a high
salary. they pay dozen men shabbily,
and get but the common run Of Off
eials, and you can't ask for anything
worse than that, at least in the Tropics.
Whyi the German Government does
not pay the Governor Of colony as
much as / pay an overseer! My man
ager would not change places with the
Governor Of East Africa
Another said:
''Why should l go to Kiao Chow?
] have more political and personal lib
erty in Hongkong under the British
flag than under my own In HongkOnS
] am somebody-in Kiao Chow / am
but a common civilian In Hong
kong German interests are respected
and Germans have voice. In the di-
Tectory Of the HOngkong and Shang-
hal Bank. Germans are represented as
well as English. No, sir; ! love my
country, but my patriotism is not
strong enough to carry me to hiao
Chow"
On visiting the Governor Of that much
naligned place the author found him
much exercised over the fact that a Chi
lese sculIery boy had inadverte ntly wash
ID the dishes in the bath-tub and would
have to be punished. Mr.. Bigelow thinks
hat the official German mind has no per-
spective.
The author is decidedly of the opinion
that English colonies stand at the head
of all, and he more than once calls Eng
and the colonial mistress of the world.
Of the English colonies he seems to con-
slider those Of Australasia as most i'm
oortant and progressive, and gives some
facts concerning them. In the
chapter on Australasia he says:
1T was only in the reign of Queen
Victoria that New Zealand was re-
luctantly Incorporated by the British
Empire-fnGCed, X is curious com
nentary On human failibility that, =
while feet upon feet has been destroy
ed IN struggles over wretched little
islets in the waters Of the Caribbean
Sea, the vast territories IN the South
ern Hemisphere, notably Australasia
and South Africa, should have been,
throughout the earlier years Of the
nineteenth century. treated as not
worth annexing There is very good
reason to think that the eXtraordin-
airy aIacrity with which England ac-
corded complete autonomy to her chill
dren in the Southern Hemisphere
arose largely from indifference 70 their
existence-possibiy from desire to be
rid Of them as cheaply as possible In
1880 few people dreamed that Germans
would colonize Shantung, Russians
fortify Port Arthur. or that warships
would be built IN California.
New Zealand today offers a picture
Of State socialism carried further than
in any other democratic community.
The railways are IN the hands OF the
State, as elsewhere in Australasia. but
in addition to that the Government has
practically undertaken to control the
relations between capital and labor
New Zealand boldly DEGREES eight
hours as the length Of a days work,
pensions every workingman in his old
age, furnishes seat for the shop girl,
and IN many other respects steps I'm
between the employer and eInploye in
a manner suggesting fatherly, II not
Eocialistic. legislation. This colony is
determined that there shall be no
strikes or Iock-outs. and therefore,
when disputes arise between employers
and employees arbitration is made com
pulsory Under such a system, where
all political power is created by the
laboring man, tribunals are apt 10 be
in his interest: yet there are many
earnest writer's in that colony who are