Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-03-03
COLONIAL RIVALRJES.
Prof. Muir's Lecture AT ST. Johns
Last Night.

The initial number in the oourse af
SIX lectures to be given at ST. Johrs Z
college IN the Department of Uniye1-
slty Extension, was delivered Iaet
night at Mcdowell Hall by Prot
Ramsay Muir. NJ. A., staff lecturer ia
history AMI literature fer the London
the Liverpool and the American 50.
cletIes. The general subject nf tie
course of six lectures is Colonial
Rlyalries of the Great Powers tie
subdivision of this subject for lau
nights lecture being THE Opening
Ont OF the World and Dominance II
Spain > The audience that gathered
at Mcdowell Hall to hear the 6rst
lecture Of the course was indeed rem.
resentatiye one. 1t included nura
Der OF naval people, heads Of depart
ments at the Naval Academy aud meu
and women we'll known in the liieral +
and scientific world.
10 the absence of President Fell. az
St. Johns College. who is ill, Pros
Muir was introduced by the Hos
John Writ Randall That the Iactur
er was thoroughly familiar with his
subject impressed itself at once upon
his audience. He is fluent sueaks :
With wonderful flow of language
and splendid vocabulary. He pre
sented his subject in the best English
showing a familiarity with SYNONYMS
that gave exquisite touch and coler
to his word painting. At first lntil
the auditor is familiar with his ac
cent Prof. Muir is a little hard to IN
derstand. He has mixture of Eng.
llsh and Scotch colloquism that falls
oo the ear with foreign intonation
but soon becomes familiar. Prof.
Muir's voice is deep and musical aud
his easy manner and familiarity with
his subject-for he never refers to
his notes-make him an ideal lecturer
He speaks rapidly and is difficult
Ito take. He said all Intelligent
readers of newspapers are impressed
by the colonial rivalries of the pow
ers. He cited instances of the bloody
wars just ended-the fight between
Russia and Japan founded on colonial
rivalries. Now Morocco and China
are claiming the attention OF the
world. He said we do not yet know
what il is to acquire colonial posses
sions in the Philippines He cited
briefly the history of France and her
wars; Germany. and the Dutch tvs
hundred years fighting with Sumatra
the English wars and wars of other
nations. He said every nation has its
colonial problems at the present day
1t is said this is a popularity Of the
present age. He said this is no such
thing; ii is a custom so far as nations
can go back.
The history of the world is suhstan
TALLY the history of the nations S ex.
tended influence. Whenever a nation
begins to shut itself up it begins to
decay. 1t begins to lose that impact
of ideas that comes with contact
with other nations. Prof. Muir de.
fined colony" He gave the Phoe-
nieian idea-a trading post; the Greek
idea an independent "hiving off from
a mother state and the Roman idea
a military settlement. He spoke OF
the OVERLOOKING of Europe" the ex-
pausion of western civilization and OF
the process of colonization. The story
of these rivalries Prof. Muir said wa
an Important one in modem history
but had been neglected until recently
The story begins with the explora
tions of the fifteenth and sixteentil
centuries and shows the effect of the
rolling up of the curtain which
concealed the greater part of the
world upon the mind and ambitions
of Europe.
The lecture was intensely interesting
and presented in a clear forcible and
entertaining manner. The second
lecture will be delivered next Friday
night.