The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-12-06
ENGLAND LOCATION
IS HER SECURITY
ENGLISH CHANNEL OF MORE
VALUE THAN LARGE ARMY
FOR DEFENSE.

I Washington. p. c., Dec. 5.--That
geography after all Is the basis of the
greatness Of Great Britain, and that
+ the great nftional ability to save and
! conserve the earnings of centuises
! that has resulted from her geogra phic
! position stands her in good stead In
these days of trial is the conclusion
/ of Or. Roland G. Usher. who has Just
prepared for the National Geographic
Society an lncistve study of the fac
! tors that have made tho tight little
| isle" across the channel from con-
tinental Europe a far greater power
than her area and natural resources
would bespeak.
I'VE must not lose sight Of the fact"
says DIR. Usher, that the strategical
geography of Europe has given the
English advantages Of position which
were more important In the past thar
great armies that the English Chan
mel was. in the days of sailing ships
i more effective barrier against in
vaslon than any army could have
been. The strateg!cal Importance of
/ Belgium and Holland. too. vital to
England was very fortunately also
vital 10 q Germany and France. The
/ English have never. single ~ha nded,
been able Ia keep either France or
Germany out Of those countries in
time Of war; but they have somehow
or other, always managed TO play off
France against GERMANY or Germany
against France. and in the long run
keep them both out of Belgium and
Holland England has protected her
self by arousiug the fear of others.
and II must he admitted that Ger
many threatens Paris good deal more
effectively than she does London, and
that I.ouis XIV in Holland was even
Is-,7, e.-,- F.,t ttrk
on the Rhine than he was 10 the
English
Free from Invasion.
DR.. Usher calls attention to the fact
thar England has never known. since
william the Norman harried York
shire such rayaging by armies and
consequent economic loss as continued
N Europe for centuries. In the long
ruin England became proportionately
richer than larger countries with much
more extensive natural resources
which wcr" decimmated by war.
Neither extraordinary diligence nor
skill needs to be brought forward H.
the explanation 70 the beginning OF
England's capital fund. 1t was by
tha. most unusual but simplest of all
i things---saving'
While England was free from the
wastes Of an invading warfare, Ger
many was be ing literally eaten up by
such onflicts as the Thirty ears
War.
Necessary to Dominate Channel,
In order to rest secure from at
tack by the more powerful land en-
pires on the neighboring continent. 1t
was necessary for England to domi-
nate the channel with its fleet. This
domination twas established beyond
question by the English defeat OF the
Spanish Armada But, DR.. Usher ex
plains. in obtaining control of the
channel. the English also found them
selves dominating the oversee COM
merce of the nations OF Europe. The
English Channel was 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 the western coast OF the
British Tslos make 1t impracticable
even for the powerful ships Of the
present day.
I Among the essentials Of national
strength. Dr.. Usher enumerates those
of territorial unity. or natural State
l boundaries; racial unity, or con-
+ seriousness Of the citizenry that they
. arc one people: q religious unity
which n the case OF England, con-
sistS in q broad. workable liberation
I Of individual beliefs; patriotism. or
the consciousness Of the people of
common aims ard purposes; and
unity Of admiration, or condition
where an overwhelming maiortty OF
the people are go well satisfied with
The form OF government as 10 desire
no radical change. All of these va
rtous clements entering into natona!
strength. according TO Or. Usher, we're
achieved bv England centuries earlier
than by any Of the modern peoples
of continental Europe.