Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-03-15
Geographic News
Bulletins by the
National Geographic Society
Corner Stole of Empire

SOhbSf CeO-C VI AShhIuHO
Renewed discussion by the neigh
bors of the United States to the
north of the desirabilitys of New
foundland's becoming a part of the
Dominion of Canada raises a point
upon which probably many Ameri-
cans are ha2y-that there are two
distinct British realms, not one, in
the portion of North America above
the Canadian border. Newfound-
land and its relations to Canada
are brought out in the following
bulletin from the Washington, d. c..
| headquarters of the National Geo.
graphic Society:
Sentiment plays its part in his
tory and historic geography" says
the bulletin, land the fact that
Newfoundland has insisted on stand
ing alone while all the other British
possessions of North America have
united to form the Dominion of Can
ada is probably partly due to the
pride that Newfoundlanders have a
ways had in being able to boast
that theirs is the senior, British
colony-the first Of the children of
the motherland to make it's home
| beyond the seas.
Newfoundland had its settle.
ments as early as the 18th century
and was a ful1-f1edged British COL
ony with a governor when Canada
was New France. South Africa was
In the hands of the Dutch, aud not
q single white settler had landed
in Australia.
Across Canada's Front Door
Newfoundland has a geograph.
ical position of great Importance,
for 1t largely blocks the broad gulf
into which the st. Lawrence river
widens. and which forms Canada's
front door from Europe. Moreover
Newfoundland is the closest part of
North America to the British Isles,
being only 1,640 miles from Ireland.
IL is natural hat the first trans
Atlantic cable should have been laid
to the shores of Newfoundland in
1858 and that out of seventeen ca
eleven first touch American soil
either on Newfoundland or it's
neighboring islets. And when in
1919 a%eroplones finally conquerer
Atlantic it was from Newfoundland
that both the American and the
British machines took off.
Newfoundland has an area of
more than $4,000 square miles, and
is therefore practically half the size
of Great Britain. Excepting only
Cuba, which barely exceeds it in size,
IL is the largest island Of the West
ern Hemisphere outside polar wat.
res. With it's cliffs of brown stone
rising 200 to 800 feet, broken here
and there by deep fjords and bays,
Newfoundland has a bleak and bar
rem appearance which bellies condi-
tons in many parts of the rolling,
timbered interior. Along a num-
Der of the streams are fertile VAL
leys in which agriculture and stock
raising flourish.
The Story in One Word: Fish
In late years mining, stock
raising, the manufacture of wood
pulp and new print paper, and a
number of other industries have
been developed in Newfoundland,
but throughout it's more than 400
years of history. the central story
of the island might be- told in one
word: fish. Boston and Massachu-
sets have felt deeply indebted to
their sacred cod but after al
that important creature CAME from
the Newfoundland bank; and how.
ever valuable it has been to New
England, it has meant more 20 New
foundland and through Newfound-
land to Great Britain.
"A good case could even be made
for the cod as q claimant for a place
on the British coat-of-arms; for
that lowly fish in a way laid the
foundation of the worldwide Brit
ish Empire. Before the discovery
o. Newfoundland Britishers were OF
little importance as s%eafarers. The
great wealth of cod fish which John
Cabot's finding of the island dis
closed Immediately drew the men
of the British Isles out of their
insularity.
"The next year after the discovery
|-14SS-a fleet of Devon fishermen
crossed the Atlantic and returned
loaded down with fish: and from
that time on for centuries the an
nual crossing and recrossing OF
the Atlantic took place. The Brit
ish kings looked upon the voyage OF
thousands of men to and from New
foundland as the best kind of train
ing for seamen and deliberately dis
couraged the settlement OF the is
land in order to p~erpetuate the fish
ing from a British base. Great Bri-
tain quickly became a ~seafaring ma
ton: the navy grew; and with its
growth the British Empire spread
around the world.
THE Newfoundland OF today has
a government in general somewhat
Ike that of Canada. 1t is not a
crown colony but a se1f1governing,
responsible colony with a governor
general appointed by the British
king. a premier, and a parliament
Of two houses.
sits educational system is unique.
Neither the central government nor
political divisions maintain public
schools. Instead, religious denomi-
nations have charge of schools in
proportion to their membership. and
funds are furnished to these schools
by the government. Practically the
only unifying activities OF the gov
eminent are in the laying out of