The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-12-05
Great Britain
Greatness Due
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HAS BEEN ABLE TO SAVE AND
CONCEIVE EARNINGS OF
CENTURIES.
THE RESULT IS SHE is PREPAR.
ed WITHSTAND THESE
DAYS OF TRIAL.

WASHINGTON, D. c. Dec. s.
That geography after all Is the basis
of the greatness of Great Britain, and
that the great national ability to save
and conserve the earnings Of centur.
ies that has resulted from her geo
graphic position stands her. in good
stead In these days OF trial is the con-
clusion, OF Dr.. Roland G. Usher, who
has Just prepared for the National
Geographic Society an incisiye study
OF the factors that have made the
tight little isle" across the channc!
from continental Europe far great
ers power than her area and natural
resources, would bespeak
eve must not lose sight of the
fact says DR.. Usher. "that the STRAIT,
egical geography of Europe has given
the English advantages Of position
which were more important in the
past than great armies; that the En-
gltsh channel was, in the days % sail
Ing ships, a more effective barrier
Eainsts Invasion than any army could
have been. The strategcal import
anee OF Belgium and Holland, too, Wit.
al to England, was very fortunately
also vital to Germany and France. The
English have never, single.handed,
been able to keep either France or
Germany out of those countries in
times of war but they have, somehow
OF other, always managed to play off
France against Germany, or Germany
against France, and in the long run
keep them both out of Belgium ann
Holland. England has protected herS
qself by arousing the fear Of others,
and itamust be admitted that Germany
/ ms Belgium threatens Paris good
Il deal more effectively than she does
London, and that Louis XIV in Hol'
land was even more distasteful to tbs
German states on the Rhine than h
was to the English"
& DR.. Usher calls attention to the fac
that England has never known, sine
William tho Norman harrled York
shire such ravaging by armies ans
consequent economic loss as CONT:
ued in Europe for centuries. In til
long run England became proportio.
ately richer. than larger countries wi:
much more extensive natural resour
es which were decimated by war
Neither extraordinary diligence nor
skill needs to be brought forward as
the explanation of the beginning of
England's capital fund. 1t was by
that most unusual but simplest of
alt thIpgs--saying."
lie England was free from the
wastes of an invading warfare. Ger
many was being literally eaten up by
such conflicts as the Thirty Years
Wa
IN order TO rest secure from attack
blythe more powerful land empires on
the sneighboring continent, 1t was nee.
cssary for England to dominate the
8channelI,with. its fleet This DONNA
ton was established beyond question
by the English defeat Of the Spanish
armada. But, DR.. Usher explains, In
OBTAINING control of the channel, the
Englisn also found themselves dom
5fnating the oversee commerce of the
nations OF Europe. The English chan
nelawas the needles eye which all
ships had to thread that sailed from
French Belgium, Dutch or German
ports upon the channel and the North
sea. The dangers, of the seaway along
stheEweatsr1 coast of the British Isles
make It impracticable even for the
powerful ships Of the present day.
Among the essentials Of national
strength, Dr.. Usher enumerates those
Sof Territorial unity, or natural state
Boundaries; & facial unity, or a con
rciousness OF the cttizenry that they
are one people, a religious unity,
switch, in the case of England. con
sists In broad, workable liberation
of individual be;jefs; patriotism, or
the eonsclousness Of the people OF
common aims and purposes, and aun-
I itys of administration, OF a condition
where an Overwhelming majority Of
tEeapeople are SO we'll satisfied with
the form OF government as to desire
no radical change. All OF these var
ious elements entering into national
strength, according to Or. Usher, were
fachieyeI by England centuries ear
Tier than by any of the modern peo-
pies Of continental Europe.
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