The Dominion. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1914. BRITISH NATIONAL VITALITY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1995, 28 February 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1914. BRITISH NATIONAL VITALITY.

The pessimistic jioojik who aro continually telling 'tis that Britain has seen her best davs, and that tho time is within measurable distance when historians will be- writing about the decline and fall of tho British Empire, will find very; little to support- their gloomy predictions in tho trade statistics which have just mado their appearance. Again . all records are broken by the figures ; representing the oversea eoimncrce of the United Kingdom, the imports for 1913 amounting to no less than £769,033,959 (an- increase af {62.4,393,328, or 3.3 per cent.), whne th« exports totalled £52& i 4Gi,4IG (an increase of £: j i8,237,977, or 7,8 per cent-, as compared with the 1912). This is the first timo that tho. exports of British produce and manufactures have exceeded £500,000,000. Tho Westminster Cazett* states that the highest previous records Were made in 1007, 1910, and 1911, bait 1913 easily outstrips its predecessors. This following comparison between the years 1807 and 1313 is vevy striking 1907. 1.913. (Million ,K) Imports Sl-5.0 769-Ite-experts i)ii 10D.J Imports retained ... 553.5 Ixports—British produce 42Ci 52'3.3 Going back to the year 1872 we get tho following remarkable figures showing the growth of British exports (excluding ships) : — 1572 256 million. iSB3 210 „ Mi 461) „ 191S 514 ~ If we take in a still longer period wo find that the exports of the produce and manufactures of tho United Kiftgdam in 1851 were valued at j about'' £74,500,000, the figures for last year showing a, sevenfold increase. , Judged by its trade statistics the 'United Kiisgdnm certain]}' does not ' look ver v y much like a dying nation. But it is not only in oversea trade that the. United Kingdom lias made :remarkable progress.' A return recently issvted by tho Board of' Trade ■shows that in 18G1 a penny in the jiwind en the income-tax yielded a little- iiroj'c than a million pounds; in IMI it produced nearly three times as much. In 5851 the amount standing to tho credit of depositors in savings batiks was about 30 million pounds; in 1.912 it had grown to 205 millions. 111 addition to this the average standard of living among > the people, has been raised—they are better clothed, and fed aiul housed— and they live an altogether richer and fuller life. More is being done every year in the way of tawn-pian- . ning and sanitation,' and the State lis also taking more active steps to see that the Homes of the people are fit lor habitation, A' memorandum recently pnblishe-d regarding the . working of the British Housing a.-nd 'fawn manning Act of 1009 shows .that at least 140,G!)t! English hnines were "in a State so dangerous or injurious to health as to bo unfit for human habitation" in the years 3&09ISH3. Of these •15,000 .were put in order, 840Q were voluntarily demolished,' and- over 27,400 were the s-t'ib-ject of closing orders. It is claimed that in the three years 1911-13 no fowisr than 125>,620 houses were made fit for habitation at the cost of the ■ landlords or owners, and this in addition to the, largo number dealt w|th under the Public Health Acts. Each year an enormous and euiitin- ■ nally increasing amount is - being spoilt-on the education of the people, with tho object of equipping tnciu to play a worthy part in misinoss and I iu private life, and to do thciy duty as 'citizens to maintaiti and quicken 'the progressive development of tho nation. These movements are all unmistakable indications of vigorous lite, and probably no civilised nation is makirig greater efforts than Britain to improve -the physical, moral, and material welfare of its people, It has become the fashion in certain quarters tc proclaim that in a comparatively few years Germany is destined to oust the British Empire from the leadership of the world, but this view, of the international outlook is not warranted either by facts or probabilities. The Germans are undoubtedly a peat and progressive, people, and there. is much' that \vp can l-'ayn frith advantage from t|;em.; but they do dot possess a monopoly of a ll the virtues," nor do they hold tile World in tho Hallow of their hand as some people Bcem to think. We are often' told that Germany is far in advaiice of Britain iii educational methods and in practical sclcnco. . Professor Aumstkoxg, a leading English anUi«rity t however, recently declared that "all thfc talk about the snperio.vit.y of (Jer- : man research work in science was ■nonsense and moonshine.'" it was .true,.lie- said, that the Germans were . able to do a great deal of work which could not be done in Britain hec?ause of different conditions; hut when it came to a question of ideas, the history and development, of physic* and chemistry during tho last few years made it perfectly evident that Britain certainly stood level with the rest of tho world, if it did not lead. This view of the position is probably pretty ■ near the mark, though FitOKES-sott Au.wsTitoiiCi may have been indulging in a little playful exaggeration when he. added that it took ten Germans to do the work oi two Englishmen, However that may te, the fact remains that Britain is at least holding her own with the most virile and progressive nations in science, philosophy, literature, social reform, trade, and industry. In addition to this she has proved herself the most successful colonising power of modern times, the result being that she has brought into existence a- family of stronr young nations ready to stand along' side, her in &»y emergency and to presopt a united front to any enemy that may wish to try conclusions with her. Britons hay?- no need for pessiwiisart. i.ikc other peoples tiny Lavo internal, and external dangers to guard against, and great social and political problems to solve; but their national life is full of vitality and there is no reason why the. future of the British conmiunilies should not be even more glorious • than the past.