Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-19
Continued from First Page)

which again has its qualities and It's
limitations. A practical people ooes
one thing at time. and 1t does not Sc.
lect for its energies anything but wnat
it feels is within the compass OF 'ts
power to achieve. =.
Having done one thing at time. IT
makes that q starting point for the
next so that 1t has continuity III acton.
You may say the empire was otlllt up
not by planning but by doing one thing
and then finding that that one thlns
led on to another thing.
Another characteristic has been tnat
we regard it rather waste OF time 10
argue about distractions and status.
and so forth. Our pu, lie men are not
very much occupied with theories tntil
they see how they are going to Apply
them to some vote they are gong 10
give in Parliament or elsewhere.
There is no better instance OF thlS
than the status Of the British govern
ment. which In theory is q despotlsm
The ministers arc appointed by the gov
eminent. they can be- dismissed by me
King He can appoint whom ne likes
and he can dismiss them when ne llkes'
That is the theory of the constitution
But as the government can raise no
money unleS the question frst is Vo!eo
upon by the House of Commons, IL lol-
lows that it is of no use FOR the King 20
appoint or dismiss ministers at his Will;
his government would have no money
and could not exist. AS the government
therefore depends on the House OF
Commons. we have not bothered IN the
least about its theoretical status in the
constitution.
X
Another point I want to take In illus
tration of our being a practical people
is our capacity to learn by eXpar!e nee.
That Is not foresight l Go not thlnK
we have much foresight Iii our states
manship but We have had a capacity
for learning by experience. An excellent
instance Of it is the loss OF ne Ameri-
can colonies in the eighteenth century
IF we had had craftsmanship in the
sense of foresight we should not have
lost those colonies
I was told by Lord Acton years ago
that the young Mirabeau. when ne
heard that the British had taken the
French colonies in North America, said:
The British having taken the French
colonies, will now lose their own"
What he meant was that so long as
there were French colonies In North
America as rivals of the British colo
MES. the latter would be dependent on
the strong arm Of the mother country
to maintain themselves against their
rivals, but that once the French colonies
were taken. Englands colonies would no
longer feel that dependence. and would
become independent.
Perhaps the younger Mirabeau also
was keen enough observer OF character
rs 5,at no
Ing foresight. could not understand, as
he did. the change which would come
in the point of view Of the British
colonies.
But the English race does learn by fX-
perience. 1t has never repeated a mis-
take The result is what was seen at
the last imperial conference-a number
OF colonies which have grown 70 be self
governing dominions Ginning here and
remaining attached to the common
wealth of nations in the empire. That
imperial conference was great snccesS
do not want TO qualify that for no.
ment; but It is again an tnstnnc. that
British craftsmanship does not consist
in foresight. but in learning by expert
ence and In recognizing facU.
The conference was a great success
because 1t solemnly recognized as fac:
that the donlinions have eoIa! status
with the mother country. which was al
ready an accomplished fact before the
conference met. That is why I want TO
emphasize that while We have had
craftsmanship in the British rate. un-
doubtedly. it has not been craftsmanship
OF foresight: it has been rather the
craftsmanship OF insight That Is 10
say. 1t has been a practical and not an
imaginative craftsmanship,
Now ! come 10 limitations in the
English race. which follow partly. I
think, from our qualities. I have said
nothing about the religious and moral
character OF the British race, but not
because 1t does not exist It is quite
true that when once the British race Is
confronted clearly with an issue which
it understands TO be an issue between
what is right and what is wrong. there
is an uprising Of conscience which Is a
remarkable and satisfactory thing.
But the British race has also had a
very material side. We get angry when
foreign nations say we are q material
ist!c race, a nation OF shopkeepers and
so forth. We do not think that true
Judgment Of US. because We are con-