The Dominion. SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 1913. SANE OPTIMISM.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1651, 18 January 1913, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 1913. SANE OPTIMISM.

■ A. spirit of pessimism is in. the air. On every hand we aro being told of'the present decline and coming fall of'the British- Empire. Theße propbete of. evil openly de-; clare that our time has come, and that it is now only a matter of a few years before the crumbling struc- : ture will collapse.. This gloomy outlook seems to be: in a large measure the result of .reaction from the jingoistic optimism which, was so prevalent some years ago, when many people spoke as though they really •believed that the Britisher was divinely appointed to inherit the earth and that it was his natural prerogav tivo to receivo the homage of other nations who could at most expect only to occupy' thoso parts of the world for which Great Britain, had no use. It was, of course, quite impossible that, this view of the British nation as the pet of Providence, and the; Bhallow irrational optimism which it engendered, could permanently hold the field. The reaction was bound.to come, and as a consequence we are , passing through a time of exaggerated pessimism which is having a pernicious effect' on the national character. We are at present in danger, ;as a_ nation of developing ultra-sensitive nerves, and we seem to be,for ever verging oh a' state of undignified panic. Tho cocksurencss of former days which gave rise to the comfortable feeling that if anything untoward, happened to the British race tho univcrgo would entirely collapse, and that therefore Providence had no choice but to see us safely through every crisis, has given place in many minds to the equally irrational idea that by the ..operation of some mysterious and inexorable necessity the greatness of our nation is departing, and. that no matter what we may do, Britain is destined in the future to play quite a subordinate part in shaping the world's history. Between these two extremes, however, there is a mor e excellent way, and signs are not wanting that the nation is settling down to a.rational and dignified confidence in itself unalloyed by that hollow jingoism so offensive to our neighbours and quite unworthy of a great people. That Old spirit that wanted to fight ovorybody and grab everything was aB ridiculous as tho fit of pessimism through which the nation is just now passing is depressing.' The outlook is by no means as black as Bome would, paint it. In ari interesting Bpeech at a recent gathering of Scotsmen in London, Mr. Balfour made a timely reference to this matter. He said:

Looking back and looking 'orward let me say that I refuse to take a dark or Sessimistic view cither of Scotland or of rent Britain or of the Empire. To say that there, are not to my -Jiind great causes of anxiety, would, of course, be wholly untrue. I think there are causes of anxiety, but, ladies and gcntl.inien, I am a believer in the. destinies of my country. Wo have got over far greater difficulties than those which, so far as my powers of prophecy are of any value, fnco ua in the future, I am one of those who beliave that In almoat every reto/tot, so-

cial and political, if you tnko r. sufficient length of time-and lam not talk-1 ing, of last year, or ten years ago. or twenty years ago; I am talking ot the generations—in my view, in every respect, things are better and not worse, 1 believe.that in no spirit of over-confidence, in no spirit of contempt for the past, in no arrogant view of our superior wisdom, we will face day by day the national and Imperial problems put before us. l'lio man who in this place 26 years hence addresses this Corporation will bo able to say that, though some things'might have been better done and many things had better been left undone, nevertheless the state of the world, the state of die British Empire, the slate of Great Britain, the state of Scotland is yet belter ihnn it was a-quarter of a century beforo ne spoke. That is the hope doubtless of every man present. It is not only my hope, it is my belief. ' .

In those words Mr. Balfour strikes the true note of sane optimism. These are certainly diffiqult and dangerous days, and thero_ arc numerous causes for grave anxiety; but on tho other hand there are many solid grounds for hope and encouragement. Tho pressure of international competition and the_ aggressiveness of other nations, is welding the British Empire together aB perhaps nothing else couldi, The ties which.bind the young Dominionsjust beginning to feel tho strength and confidence of early manhood— to the' Motherland wore never so strong; and tho clouds which threaten our national existence, arising out of recent developments in international politics, arc acting as a wholesome goad by compelling us to work oM a scheme of Imperial cooperation which will enable the Empire to make the best use of the combined resources of all its parts in repelling any external' foe, while leaving eaoh part of the Empire free to. manage its own internal affairs and to.develop its own.ideal of tionhood in accordance s with its peculiar geographical, climatic, historical, and other conditions and circumstances.

This; pressure from without is also having a bracing effect in other ways. The strength.of an army and navy docs not merely depend on numbers. Efficiency is absolutely and efficiency must ; depend in the .long run on health—physical and moral. Therefore, if we are to', have an adequate military force we must have a virile people with large and healthy families, and prepared to make sacrifices for the defence of their country.' The whole question must eventually resolve itself'into one, of moral fibre and national.character. ments are of tremendous importance, and wealth must always ne a big factor in international affairs; but in the long run it is the nation which can,rear tho, largest number of healthy minded and physically vigorous children that must survive in the struggle for existence. , There is no 'doubt that "-tho falling birthrate and the multiplication of tho* unfit are ; two of the most serious blots on European civilisation at the present time, and these evils must bo resolutely grappled with if disaster is to bo averted, These and \ other pressing, problems remind us that we live ,in a critical time—a time of many perils and anxieties; but also of great opportunities. We are probably .witnessing 'the birththroes of a new and better age, .in. which the British peoples, -if they' are only true to themselves; will play a- great' greater,: possibly', than.in■ tho past—in shaping the destinies "of the - human race.