Norwich bulletin., 1921-07-14
IN THE DAYS NEWS
Trapping the British Empire.

The prime ministers of five self-gov- ernng British dominons and represen- tatives of India are gathering in Lon don, according to dispatches, to take part with the prime minister of Great Britain in what is considered one ot the most important consultations in British history. In conenction with the con- ference the National Geographic Society has issued the following bulletin:
 The British empire is at once the greatest and most peculiar empire which the world has known. Its flag lilies over more than a fifth of the land surface of the earth and over about | quarter of the inhabitants of the globe. | This vast territory, amounting to near | ly thirteen million square miles. is six | times the size of the Roman empire at It's greatest extent. more than three times the size of the present French 'em- pire,' and once and half as large as l the next greatest empire of modern times. the Russian. If all the land of the British empire conld be formed into one tract 1t would require the entire continent of Africa and half the United States 10 cover 1t.
 Portions of the British empire are strewn in and between the oceans of the world like protruding 1agstones and pebbles in a pond. A giant with seven league boots that could cover 1ee0 miles
 at each normal step with an occa sional leap Of 1900 miles could walk a large part of the distance around the world dry-shod and touch only British terri
 tory.
 ''The first 1000-mile step from Eng land would be to tiny Gibraltar, less than
 two square miles in area the smallest
 yet stra logically one of the most import
 snt units of the empire. A 12oe-mile ,,hop to the east would reach Malta the
 island headuuarters of the British Medi- lterranean fleet. As compensation for
 the longer leap, the wearer of the, sew
 of FOO miles to the northwestern corner
 of Egypt, and for the next 1900 miles tc } the southeast could traverse British ter. ritory in as leisureiy a manner as ht
 pleased. From the southeastern bound ary of the .Anglo-Egyptian Sudan on tn, Red Sea to the island of Perrin. sec l ond Gibraltar at the seas mouth. tn, [ II step would be only about 500 miles
 Alden lies only q hundred miles to in = east and the Alden Protectorate stretche n for 800 miles farther to the eastward a narrow fringe along the south eoas ' of Arabia. From the Kuria Aiuria isl | ands which mark approximately it's east " ern limit to the nearest part of Indi l. Is step of only 7O0 miles.
 India forms a land bridge for nearl T 5000 miles to the southernmost point . Burma. From there to the nearest poin ? of British territory in the Straits Settl, 7 ments is bare 300 miles. From Sings 7, nore at the southernmost point of in p Straits Settlemens to British Borneo T less than 200 miles
 ' ITO reach isolated Australia h ,' thousand mile steps on British territor the giant pedestrian would have to mak V use of tiny Christmas island about ga ! miles south of Singapore. The distanc " from there to the nearest point in An.
 tralia could be covered by a single 10oi l. mile step
 From eastern Australia a 10oo-ml
 step would reach Norfolk Island. Thenc -Ia a half-step would reach New Zealan,
 From Norfolk Island the giant pedei
 trian could pick his way with east |
 steps ranging frem few miles to 10C
 miles along the route of the Britis
 trans-Pacifac ceble for g distance c
 more than 5000 miles to Tanning Islam
 This infnitesimal island is practically Il J easternmost outpost among the uTffts r. the British empire that are closely COT
 nected with one another. East ar D. northeast is vast expaHse of the P;
 chc without islands. To the southeas l, where a haltiHg island bridge exist to many of the islands are in possession
 ! France. This lack of British islands m the eastern Pacific Is str;kingly slew Id by the fact that the British trans Paeif y cable extends under water from EaI of ming Island to Canada, distance ol 345s miles, the longest stretch of unr
 iaycf cable in the world. Beyond il E. Pacific breach lies Canada, the greate It of the empires uRits. and to the sout I'd of it are the important West Indies DO a sessions.
 in ''The British empire Is in sense n