The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-17
Britain Is Never
to FOrsake King
BY James G. Young.
Copyright. 1917. by the Press Pub
fishing Coz

Copyright, 1917. by the Press Pub
fishing Coz
An interesting opportunity to see
ourselves through the eyes OF another
Is furnished in an address delivered by
Lieutenant General J. c. Shuts at q
banquet which members OF the British
parliament rendered him on his recent
visit to London. The South African
leader and statesman. who has won
more sharply defined victories in this
war than almost any other command
er under the British flag. draws a
comparison between the United States
and the empire which he represents
that may be new to many Of US. The
former Boer general also presents a
view of British. problems that helps
to make clear some Of the British
aims and perils in this war. We are
accustomed to think of the British
empire as one nation. much. like our
own. Very few Americans comprehend
what a great community of nations Is
included in the British empire.
"The. British empire is much more
than a state" he said. II think tho
very expression empire is misleading.
because it makes people think as II we
are a single entity, one unity, to which
that term empire can be applied. We
| are not an empire. but system of
nations, a community Of states.
1.-The question Is: how are you going
to provide for the future government
Of this group Of nations? It Is an en-
tirely new problem. II you want to
, see how great it is you must take the
United States in comparison. There
! you find what is essential-0ne ma.
ton, not perhaps in the fullest sense.
bat more and more growing into one
| big state, consisting Of subordinate
parts, but one national state over
| one big. contiguous area.
| Compare with that state Of facts
this enormous system comprised in
the British empire of nations all over
the world. some independent. living
under diverse conditions. and all grow
ing toward greater nations than they
| are at present. You can see at once
that the solution which has been
found practicable in the case of the
United States probably never will
work under our system. That IL what
I feel In all empires of the past. and
even in the United States-the effort
has been toward forming one nation.
All the empires that We have known
in the past and that exist today are
founded ON the idea OF assimilation. OF
trying to force different human mate.
rial through one mould 80 as to form
one nation. Your whole idea and
basis is different. You do not. want
to standardize the nations Of the Brit
ish empire. You want to develop them
into greater nationhood.
I'VE have kingship here which
really is not very different from q
hereditary republic, and am sure that
! more and more in the future the trend
will be that way.
1T seems to me this British empire
has only one mission, and that Is q
mission for greater liberty and free
dom and self-development. Yours Il
the only system that has ever worked
in history where a large number Of ma
lions have been living in unity. Tall
about the League Of Nations-you arr
the only league Of nations that hal
ever existed; and If the line that an
sketching here is correct you are gotna
| to be a greater league of nations In the
} future. And II you are true to your
old traditions Of self government and
I freedom, and to this vision Of y0ul
future and your mission. who knowi
that you may not exercise far greakel
, and more beneficent influence ON thu
, history Of mankind than you have
ever done before?"
II Russia 10 learning that liberty hal