The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-05-01
THE BRITISH EMPIRE


"The excitement caused by the rec
iprocity agreement between Canada
and the United States shows very
clearly that the vast majority Of those
who arrogate to themselves the title
of imperialist' do not in the least UNI
derstand what the British empire in
reality is says the London Statist.
THE word empire does not properly
apply to the lands which owe allegi-
ance to King George. But the influ-
ence of Roman history, Roman power
and Roman civilization is so abiding
that we have transferred the title
from the territories conquered by the
City on the Seven Hills to those which
acknowledge the sovereignty of the
British King. When the title was
first given there was perhaps some
faint show of reason for it. Even to-
! day it can be urged with some truth
sense. But granting that the word
is not altogether misused when appli
ed to India and the crown colonies, it
clearly is altogether out of place when
applied to the self-governing domin-
/ ions, commonwealth and unions be-
You'd sea. In the first place, these
self-governing portions of the en-
pire have no superior. They manage
! their own affairs in the name of the
British king, it is true, but through
ministries depending for existence
only upon the several legislatures of
| the self-gOverning colonies. The moth
err country has given up all claim to
exercise control over the daughter
countries. 1t is true that under GER
| tain circumstances an act of the Par
lament of the United Kingdom binds
the colonies. For instance, the feder-
alton of the several colonies was car
ried into force by an act of the Par
lament sitting at Westminster. But,
save in very exceptional circum-
stances, an act of the British Parlia-
ment does not apply to the self-gov-
erning portions of the empire. More
than this, the self governing por
tons of the empire maintain their
own armies and their own navies, and
though they are ready to support the
mother country when she is involved
in war, yet the government of tho
mother country has no power over the
armies and the navies of the daughter
countries. She can not move them
out of the territories in which they
are raised Without the consent Of
those territories. Again, some years
ago Canada requested that the COM
mercial treaties with Germany and
Belgium should be denounced, and
they were denounced. Germany, as
everybody will recollect, demanded
when Canada gave a preference to the
mother country that the same prefer
ence should be given to her. Canada
refused, and after a war of tariffs
Germany had to give way. Since then
Canada has negotiated not only with
Germany and with France, but in
more than one instance with the Unit
ed States. And the rights which Can
ada has won for herself have been
won for all the self-governing por-
tons of the empire. Those portions
of the empire, therefore, maintain
armies and navies for themselves, and
negotiate on equal terms with for
eign independent states. 1t is per-
fectly clear, therefore, that the word
empire is an entire misnomer when
applied to what is called the British
empire. Nor is the British empire
a federation, at all events in any sense
of the word hitherto used.
There is no document of any kind
regulating the relations between the
mother country and the daughter
countries. There is no definite under
standing even. So that it is impossi-
BILE to say with any confidence what
are the relations between either the
daughter countries and the mother
country, or between the daughter
countries themselves, When the pres
ent constitution of the United States
was adopted it laid down that the
power of entering into treaties with
foreign countries should be vested in
the President, and must be confirmed
by the Senate. The several states
which previously had been indie
pendent commonwealth thus gave up
one Of the most important sovereign
rights. Similarly, when the German
empire was founded the right to ne
| Pntiata was vastad In the immortal