The Dominion. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1917. IMPERIALISM: A CONTRAST

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2992, 1 February 1917, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1917. IMPERIALISM: A CONTRAST

Bγ tho death of tHc Eaho or CitOMEE the British Empire loses a gifted administrator and a wise counsellor. Hβ was an Empirebuilder of the best type. History will give him a high place among that distinguished band tff men whose firm, and just governance of dependent races has won the admiration'of the world. Administrators like Lord Oromer have made the peoples committed to their charge realise that British rule is based on justice, and that its aim is the establishment of peace, order, and prosperity. Cromer and Kitchener recreated Egypt. They suppressed lawlessness with a strong hand, and they were true and just in all their dealings. Thoy knew when to be severe and when to bo merciful, and in time the people came to appreciate the benefit of good government. Under British rule tho prosperity of the country has increased by leaps and bounds, aud much has been done to promote tho well-being of its inhabitants. The administration of justice has been placed upon sound foundations, and the resources of the country have been developed in a scientific and businesslike way. The history of modern Egypt affords a striking illustration of the civilising power of British ■Imperialism. For five thousand years the Egyptians had irrigated their fields by laboriously pouring water on thorn out of goat-skin buckets. "What a toiljqr a million backs!" says a, recent writer. "Then came Scott : MoncrlEFF in 1885 and Benjamin Baker in 1899 with their English engineers. The result was the barrage near Cairo and the dam at Assouan. The one vast lake became a network of canals—the wide valley a chessboard of fertility. Thirty years wrought tho miracle which fifty centuries had failed to and the land of the Pharaohs is to-day the richer by millions of pounds per annum." No one—not even our enemies—can deny that British rulo has made Egypt a more prosperous and more stablecountry. ■ The danger of famine and pestilence has been largely reduced, and: the mass of tho people live in greater security and comfort. Order has been brough't out of cbaos. Still greater ißings have been achieved in India, since the establishment of Fax Britannica put a stop to racial and religious strife. Under the British Raj tho various sections of the population are able to enjoy the utmost amount of freedom compatible with good government and due regard for the rights of others. Britain does not try to impose her type of culture by force on the dependont races which owe allegiance to King George. They are allowed to retain their religious beliefs, their national characteristics, and their social customs. Only brutal and barbarous rites and ceremonies have been abolished. This liberal and enlightened policy has been carried out in various parts of the Empire by a succession of Empirebuilders of high character and outstanding ability, who have handed down a great tradition, and established a high ideal of Imperial duty. Throughout his long and useful career Loud Crojikr lived up to this true tradition of duty and service.

The manner in which Lord Ckombu did his work as His Majesty's representative in Egypt affords au impressive example of what British Imperialism stands for in contrast with tho Gorman way of _ governing subject peoples. Britain has mado blunders, anil fnerr. are blots upon her Imperial record, but on (be whole she lias, clone well. She has been a pioneer of civilisation, and has largely oxten de-d the roign ol law in the world. The magnificent manner in

which the. Kl.Vii subjects in India, and Eg,vpl., and Africa, and Polynesia, and other parts of the earth to tbe Umpire's call when uie -tfar began is a sjileudicl tribute co the justice of British rule. In an article which recently appeared in, the London Spectator, Lokd CiioMEU himself made an interesting comparison between British Imperialism and the Imperialism of Austria and Germany. He points out that the Emperor of Austria and his predecessors have vainly endeavoured to use Gcrmanisation," pushed to an extreme point, not only as tbe principal, but as the sole, agency to fuse together the heterogeneous races subject to their sway. The German Emperor has endeavoured to apply to Hereros and to Uic inhabitants of New Guinea, j?ast Africa, and Kiaochau the same system that he and his forbears have applied, with, a certain amount of sinister success, to Mecklenburgors and Hanovcriijiis. These methods have- had tho effect of associating tho idea of Imperialism with that of-militarism in tho minds of many people. But, as Lord Ghomer stated, tho Imperialism of Britain had nothing but tho feame in common with that of Germany and Austria. He went on to say that

the British, although they have in thn, nStft made many mistakes, although for a long while they did not fully understand whovcin lay thn etrongth of tho links which Jjound them oven to their own kinsmen overseas, and although their sympathy with Hie local aspirations of truly dependent peoples.has at times been tepid, have never made any serious attempt to Anglicize them. They havo never, even in the remote, and at times reprehensible past, considered that the interests of tho ruled races ehould bo made wholly subservient to those of the rulers. Above a11,.a found political instinct has led theiti to avoid the fatal error committed by ths Germans, of endeavouring to enforce uniformity of system throughout their widespread Dominions. Diversity of treatment has been the corner stono of the British political syetom, and if—"quod Dis non placeat"—that comer stouo were ever removed/tho whole fabric would assuredly be ruined.

The British ideal of unity in diversity may seem to bo illogical, but it has been justified by experience. It is based on the plain fact that there aro • many types of humanity. Eaces differ in colour, physical form, mental outlook, socia.l organisation, and spiritual point of view. These differences have their roots in tho very nature of things. They cannot and should not bo obliterated. Each race ought to have a fair chance of developing its special gifts, both for its own sake) and Tor the sake of mankind, and of making its characteristic contribution to the material, intellectual, and spiritual progress of the world.