The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-14
SOME NEW BOOKS.
the Pas, ami Future OF the British Nj


SOME NEW hooks.
Past ami Future OF the British Empire.
OF the any books called forth by the
Colonial Conferences. which whatever may
have been their other results have at least
awakened the interest of the inhabitants OF
Great Britain in their colonies and DEEPEN
~,'sncies. the latest Ia a volume entitled The
Life Of an Empire, by WALTER MEAKIN "a.
Vessels Coz. The author during the last
few years has visited personally the differ
ont countries tina make up the British Em-
pirc. IN writing of these he has here en-
deavored to treat the various countries not
az forming several units but as constituting
. whole. Instead. therefore. OF taking up
each county separately and dealing with
iUs special problems one by one he confines
himself to discussing the problems which
concern many parts OF the empire. Tn
native question. for instance. though at
the present moment the importance OF IT Ia
most noticeable in South Africa. il not ASA
matter OF fact restricted TO any one British
dependency. but in one or another OF vari-
Gus phases exists in the West Indies. the
Indian Empire. the British possessions in
far eastern Asia and even in Australia and
ANOw Ghtoih hhN y"
chapters. but Of these we shall find it con-
venient to limit ourselves TO the first three.
which treat Of the growth and the present
composition of the empire. and to the clos
ing chapter. which suggests the practical
means Of comprising the utmost attainable
measure Of unifcstion.
H. Dx....h L.,n;.. ,a.uu lanan Ia Mr.
man and Angevin times. The Norman
and Angevin empire may be said to have
eliminated at The close Of the reign of
Henry H., when il included besides a claim
to Ireland a large part of northern and
west central France, besides almost all OF
southwestern France beyond the Loire.
Within a quarter Of a century most Of the
French possessions were lost, hut most OF
them were twice recovered for brief periods.
once by the Peace Of Bretigny in the reign
of Edward III. and a second time by Henry
v, who even secured tho crown OF France
for his son by the Princess Catherine. By
the close Of the reign of Henry VIII, how
ever, England retained nothing OF its for
mer Continental possessions except the
Cha mel Islands. which she was destined
to sep. and the town Of Calais. which sbe
was soon to lose. The second British Em-
pire NAV he said TO nave begun with the
seventeenth century. AT the settlement OF
Jamestown. and with only one great re-
oession. that caused by the loss of the thir-
teen American colonies in 1888, and a few
minor surrenders of insular possessions in
the Mediterranean Tangier, Minorca and
the Ionian Islesl, may he said to have pro-
crossed steadily to its present unparal-
lied volume.
AZ MIR. Meakin points out in his first
chapter. the expansion Of the present or
second British Empire has been brought
about mainly by two agencies, commerce
and colonization. Conquest, except in
India and Burmah. has played a compara-
lively insignificant part. The merchant
with his goods has been the missionary Of
the man with the spade the
missionary of colonization. Behind these
pioneers has been the State, upholding its
merchants and ~colonists against their
enemies. Not Immediately, Of course. did
Great Britain take to heart the lesson OF
the American Revolution, but by 1870 she
had learned to accept the principle that the
products of colonization, Canada, Australia,
New Zealand. the Cape Colony and Natal,
ought to be permitted TO manage their
own concerns "a soon a. they expressed
a wish 10 do so. Thenceforward their
position was an enviable one. Protected
from foreign interference as they continued
TO be by Great Britain, they were able to
turn their attention ent 49, to lsome affairs
and expend exclusively thereon the out
come OF their self-taxation. The inevitable
result has been that the self-governing
colonies have made greater strides toward
democracy than has Great Britain herself.
In this progress Australia ard Now Zealand
have led tho way, and are now e~ndeavoring
to settle social questions which have not
sven come within the range Of practical
politioa in the mother country. From this
point Of view Canada occupies n secondary
status, for although she has made a greater
commercial advance than any other self
governing colony, yet in her case social
questions have been somewhat neglected
for money making, and her nearness to the
United States has caused her 10 develop
on lines different from those ollowed in
Australia and New Zealand. From the
same point OF view South Africa comes
Ast. Her ties with Great Britain are still
relatively close. She has been threatened
by internal dangers, wars with native races
and ware with tho Beers: consequently
she has been unable TO devote all her at
tention to her own evolution.
The remainder o! tho British Empire.
which is the product not Of colonization
but of commsrce, remains more or less
dependent Oh the British Government. Az
the author puts it within the compass Of
three sentences: The indian Empire COM
menced from q fow stores belonging to a
London company. The protection Of these
stores brought the company into conflict
with the native chiefs. and gradually the
company took over the control OF a great
part Of Ind;a. Ate. the Mutiny Of 1867
the company YRS superseded by tho Crown.
but tho old policy was continued. and has
involved the annexation OF the whole OF the
Indian peninsula and OF Burmah.- by a
somewhat similar process the trade OF
Singapore ard Penang has come to acquire
control OF the Malay Peninsula. and in a
I.hs manner ths trade OF H~ongkong and
other r--ary ports In the Celestial Empire
might have gained control OF n considerable
raro Of China but for the opposition of other
E.,ro,~an .NNt.ntriAa