MODERN IMPERIALISM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 10

MODERN IMPERIALISM.

•LORD ,CE6MER. ON ? THE XESSONS:OI , ■; ; :.: Jvt; '■■In''his:"presidential .address on "An- ; ciep't i and ■ Modern ■; Imperialism".: at.: the ; meeting! of : the , Classical Association .recentlj,;, LoTdV Cromer"said ■ British Im- , perialists niiaht -.dtriveXspihe , -'.consolation from'.the ;reflection : that : the .experience of .Athens; could'not be U6ed, as an argument • to i prove'/: that' deniooratio.'-institUT , tions;.imust.' , necessari!y: be'^incompatible, .vath'.the !exeoutipn".:of J: ,a 'sane'.lmperial policy,-;.but-.lrather-as one. toyshpw'. the ratal effects produced, by democracy-run mad.'!: i; -:;-:; ; :a:v; ,, v' ; '■^•\ ■'■'.-;•■:-/. ■'■■.■ .'•.■: ■'■••:'■:

- i'hogi'eat'liripbrial: problom of the fu-' iur& waeto.whjat extentsome 350-millions of British'subjects were to govern themselves or.'vfcre to: be .'governed by us.. Rome never had to.face such.in issue as, this. Tlio. total, population of ( the Kpman Em-, piro ■ at' its greatest extent. ,v;a"s less. than 100, niillions,; spread 'Over, 'two ■ million square miles - of-Joo'uniry, 'as■-compared to :thev.3sO inillions: occupying Hi million square iniles: over which flog flies.'. of Eomanß and British'were very'similar. In both cases undaunted audacity their', proceedings. :'':■.:■•■'!;. ..':..■.■..-■ •-.- .'■'.;■';■ ' '"■' : 'It wasi.not..until the convuldon of 185 V forced it upon., the rnlers, of "India that they: adopted .the' principled which lay,: at 'the' root of. all found; aduiinistrationr-thdt administration; arid commercial exploitation, should not_.be_entru6t6d ibthe.samo . hands..' . No ; ''modern Imperialist-nation had shown powers of assimilation ht allcomparable,., to- those'- ,, 'displayed 'by ; the ■Romans. .-■'- ~:; ■; -. ■',■'.:'. ' :; : . ; .;•

~ There' had .been no thorough fusion, no real• assimilation between the British , and their alien • subjects,, and so far'as "they could now predict :the future would in' this ■ respect be but a repetition .-of-, the -Modern, Imperialist nations; had sought- te use tlio spread! of their "lurignage.in • order: to : draw political sympathy to themselyes. ■ They'woiild: certainly be less successful than the Eolnans. In India only 90 men and 10 women in !every-10,000-of-each-sex- read-andiwroto I'Wie modoru-. Imperialist would not accept the' decrees of Nature. He struggled manfully, and at-enormous cost, to resist- them.' ITie policy of preserving and prolonging human- useless life— -was noble, but its execution. inevitably increased tho. difficulty, of government. In India it,has-in.some 'provinces produced a highly-congested population, and it had thus necessarily .intensified: the-struggle for life of. the survivors. ~