New-York tribune., 1906-04-01
THE GREATEST OF EMPIRES.

The census of the British Empire which was
actually taken five years ago, but which, be-
cause Of the unprecedented magnitude of the
work OF analysis and tabulation, has only just
been published, affords an impressive reminder
and Justification of Websters eulogy-"a Power
Ito which, for purposes of foreign conquest and
"subjugation, Rome in the height Of her glory
"is not TO be compared" 1t was Of the British
Empire OF a century and third ago that Web
ster spoke before the English flag had been
planted at the Cape of Good Hope before even
a penal colony had been settled in Australia
and when there yet only a small and
uncertain foothoId in India. To-day, with the
expansion which has occurred since the AmerI-
can Revolution, the British Empire stands prob
ably the most populous and certainly the most
extensive in the world and, on the whole the
greatest the world has ever seen.
In round numbers the British Empire has an
area of 100000 square miles No other be-
gins TO rival 1t. The Russian Empire stands
next but it has only $500, ,395 square miles
Next in rank is what we may call the French
Republican Empire with 1926, 130 square miles
closely followed by China with 4277l7O. The
United States exercises dominion over 8 693 169
square miles, or less than one-third the area
of the British Empire while the German flag
floats over only 1,286650 square miles. Nearly
as large as the next two put together, the Brit
ish Empire easily leads the world in point of
area.
In respect TO population the British Empire
may or may not stand first Its census shows
an aggregate OF about 4OOOOOOOO The only
possible rival to it is China. of which the popu-
ation has been stated at 4O7.0O0.O00 for China
proper. and 426000O0O for the entire empire.
including Tibet and Turkestan How accurate
those hgures are. OF how inaccurate IL would
70
suspecting that they are exaggerated and that
the total population Of the whole erlpjre IS less
than that Of the British Empire If however
they are so nearly right that the British EN-
pire must stand second to China in numbers
me thlrd Is a long way below. The utmost
claim FOR the Russian Empire is less than 1872
0O0OOO, while France governs only 93OOO0OO
the United States probably Ss,000OOO and Ger
many only 74.0000O0. If we analyze these fig
HTes we find that three-fourths of the British
subjects are Asiatcs. Nevertheless, in number
OF Caucasians that empire ranks high being ex-
ceeded by Russia, the United States and Ger
many in the order named-ir the Russians are
properly 10 be clsssed as Caucasians-but ap-
proximnting so closely TO their figures as not TO
be outclassed. There are probably $1,000 600
civilized white men IN the British Empire
Equally impressive IL the variety OF lands
and peoples. Some spot in every latitude and
IN every longitude, almost is colored British
red on the worlds map. The 100000 600 include
men Of every known and Of practically
every tongue and every religion More than
half are Hindoos and nearly n quarter are Ma
hometans, while there are 5S.OO0.0 .0G0 Christians
of all sects. As for the diversity Of occupations
and interests, that is well nigh infinite We
might speak Of it characteristically n COM
mercial empire, seeing that ii surpasses all
others that have ever existed In commerce
were IL not that it has equal pre-eminence in
manufactures. and perhaps also In agriculture
and pastoral pursuits in literature and science
II stands unsurpassed and IN militant power
upon the sea it has rival with such n sta
tsdcal showing there need be no hesitation in
reckoning the British Empire the greatest the