Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-29
EMPIRE OR KINGDOM?

was the nsthenng of the center of
the empire instead of wasting British
force upon Its outskirts" The first part
of the proposition was all right. the sec
ond was fallacious. and showed, indeed
the vital difference between the imperial
and anti-imperial views. India. Canada
New Zealand and Natal were not less i'm
portant than London. Liverpool or Br-
mngham. I'VE ought not to think more
of them. but We ought not to think less
If the colonies had taken a similar line
we should have had no colonial contin-
gents in South Africa. AS America had
gone. so might Canada, Australia and
South Africa. There were plenty of in
fiuences at work to tempt or encourage
the severance. Without colonies, Eng
land, from having been the arbiter. would
sink at the best into the ingorious play
ground OF the world. British emigrants,
instead of proceeding to lands where they
could still remain British citizens and
live and work under the British flag.
would be swallowed up in the whirlpool
of American cosmopolitanism or would be
converted into foreigners and aliens.
England would become a sort of gloriied
Belgium. AS for the priceless asset of
the national character. without a world
to conquer or a duty to perform, IL would
rot of atrophy and hamilton
Under the head of the policy of impe-
riallSm LOrQ SuTZOn TeIeTTeu TO TIE
dian problem. which was difficult of solu-
ton because of a society different in race,
religion and custom. 1t was vain to ex-
pect that India could be granted self
government. 1t would mean ruin to India
and treason to the trust imposed upon
England.
He ridiculed the ide that Imperialism
meant mlitarism. and to prove this as
serted that it was with the greatest diff
Guilty that England obtained recruits for
an exceedingly limited army when the
soldiers uniform. instead of being re-
garded, as it ought to be. as source OF
pride was treated as something to be
ashamed Of" This confession will ap-
pear singular in view OF the fact mat
like accusation has been recently made In
certain manifestations made against the
uniform of the United States soldier.
This peculiar distinction-discredit OF the
uniform of the nations defenders-was
then supposed to attach to only two coun-
tries China and the United states!
Lord Curzon declares that England is
so absurdly backward in military organi-
zation that every fresh
England Not war minister sought to
distinguish himself by in
mlii1ary' venting new military
system (Which commonly passed into OBJ
livion along with its author). so def
cient are we" said Lord Curzon, sin mil
itary knowledge that we went to war
without maps of the country which We
were called upon to invade or defend. To
accuse such a people of being easily
tempted into a policy of military adven-
ture or braggadocio was almost joke.
And Lord Curzon concludes that the
moral basis of imperialism could be
achieved satisfactorily or maintained ad-
vantageously through discipline and falth.
To the people in the colonies 1t should
mean not merely Justice or order or ma
terial prosperity, but q sense or partner
ship in great idea, the consecrating IN
fluence of lofty purpose. If COO no
longer "thunders from Sinai and His
oracles are dumb. so long as we are
worthy we may still remain one or the IN
struments through whom He chooses TO
speak to mankind. IL
Now, this is a beautiful sentiment, but
may not Lord Curzon be asked If 1t Is not
simply vain and hollow rhetoric? 1t
should be recalled that Lord Curzon did
nothing when in India to correct abuses
there: John Bright 1t may be repeated
.'Be it thirty or one hundred years. does
any man with the smallest glimmerinS
of sense believe that that great country
with it's twenty dinerent nations and It's
twenty languages CAL ever UC Nohooii-
dated into one compact and enduring
empire?" The race barrier Is an insur-
mountable barrier to all plans of aosorp-
ton of peoples. whatever the pretext or
the so-called moral basis.
Lord Cromer confessed in his last re-
port that notwithstanding twenty-five
years of British domination in Egypt the
Arab was ungrateful-unmfndful of the
benefits conferred upon him" by the Brit
ish occupant. The benefits of that occu-
~. fal1 =, fNr f1 n RI G.
DRY. The fellah is still the hopeless
drudge and drawer of water that he has
ever been from Mohammed on.
Lord Curzon's suggestion. then, that
morality be made the mode of procedure
Is good. If only it were
Cromer's View possible. under the con-
ditions. But even II it
VI csyp'' were practiced in good
faith 1t would prove futile because of the
om0ipotent and implacable barrier of
race division which rises to prevent as
similation. Lord Cromer's confession of
the Egyptian fellah's feelings toward his
pseudo benefactor shows that Lord Gro
mer has paid little attention to the les
sons conveyed in history, which show that
the supreme sentiments which dominate
man are his race and religion. "Bene-
fits" are but crumbs from the table. i lie
cry of his soul is, Stranger. go out Of my
country.
Mr.. Stuart-Linton in the Empire Re-
view for December in a highly interest
ing article entitled DISSATISFACTION or
Federation" says:
''As constituted today this empire con-
sists of vast stretches of territory scat
tered over the globe and separated by the
seven seas" exhibiting a medley of
political conditions owing common allie
glance to the British throne. Within its
confines are the most democratic of
democracies and the most despotic of des-
potisms-the colony OF New Zealand and
the nizam's dominions. 1t is an empire,
to use the words of the great American,
Daniel Webster. whose morning drum
beat. following the sun and keeping COM
pany with the hours, encircles the globe
with an unbroken chain of martial airs"
On the accession of Queen Victoria in
1897 the population of the British empire
was 3l.Il2OOO and the area. 1856, $50
square miles. In 1909 the population had
increased to 392, SAG. S35 and the area to
II. 433. 2S3 square miles
And Mr.. Stuart-Lnton adds:
I'm regard to the political relations of
the empire as whole we have made little
Roadway in the direction of imperial
unity. With the possible exception of In
dia. the British empire today consists of
the mother country and group of loosely
connected states in various stages of po-
litical development. 1t has been likened
by some to loose league of scattered re-
publicS. Mr.. Chamberlain has looked into
future and has said:
Does any one really believe that our