“British Empire Has Already Passed Away"

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 34, 3 May 1927, Page 6

“British Empire Has Already Passed Away"

Ex-Oxford Professor Gives a New Vien PACIFIC AS FULCRUM An extraordinary picture cfuture, with the sentiment G f L 1 Dominions shifting from Great Brlu to America, is painted by an Eng . professor, who was educated at o % ford, and who is now on the staff Cornell University, U.S.A.. in a S{v cial article in the Hearst Press. The writer, Professor G. E. c. rv lin, was formerly lecturer in moi^ r and mediaeval history at Sheffield Professor Catlin says the Briiig, Empire, as such, has passed away, in its place he sees the British c oa . monwealth of Nations, whose destjgthougli gradual, is bound up with tk United States, which will be the cent* of gravity of all peoples. “A glance at the map of the wo* shows South Africa, Australia, Zealand, Canada and Newfoundland like a half-moon round the States,” says Professor Catlin. “The constitute a new world power, who?, future lies on the Pacific, rather on the Atlantic. Great Britain ax Ireland lie outside the main ‘bloc,’ an; alone preserve the European connn tion.” WESTMINSTER A CLEARING. HOUSE He dismisses Great Britain as beim a convenience, through her great porn for the trade of the European Co* tinent, although he admits that Wesminster will remain a clearing-hou* in dealing with European diplomat affairs. He sees an inevitable shift alreia beginning in the centres of industry as well as agricultural developmeit which to him is a sign that the e<* noinic centre of the British Gorimo*. wealth may come to lie outside Eri land. As the newer world fills up. the rt. lative disproportion between the pop,: lations of the young countries aa those of the Old World homeland) must, in his opinion, diminish. “The situation cannot last” sap Professor Catlin, “in which Engla* with one-sixtieth of the area, has on* third of the population of the Units States, and more than twice the pop. lation of Canada and Australia to gether. The countries which ha* vast fertile spaces will, after no log time, come into their own in populating and attendant political power." LOOSE CONFEDERATION Discussing the influence of this grei English-speaking Commomvealth, if which the more important part Til have New World civilisation, he sathat a loose confederation, dlthou? massive when stirred into action, as strong in defence, is almost inacapafe of speedy action, and constantly «p| posed to violent disturbance. The offensive vigour of a confed* ration is that of its least and youngs member. Although strong in hc-ldiaf what it**has, its effect in world pot tics is that of nitrogen, and not of if flammable oxygen. The Latin nUicmay resent Anglo-Saxon dcminaKt but they fight it only if it were ratfae less dominant The League of Nations, he sajrs,; freely, if falsely, accused of being t£ Anglo-Saxon instrument. It is kj| tween the small Balkan nations, at between mammoth empires, that*ra are always ready to flare up. Cc. sideration of interests far reßMtt from Hankow have caused the Britn to hold their own in the valley at ti ] Yangtse-Kiang. “The influence of Dominions such* Canada is not likely to be thrown*! the side of intervention of the World,” says Professor Catlin. 11 the future of the world tends war, a confederation of the Bnglk , speaking peoples guarantees their*! vantage. Interests of commerce, as j prosperity will demand peace in t*Jj future, and it will be these wid* spread Dominions that will first f* the pressure of the interests math for peace, and will outlaw internatloi. gunmen.” AMERICA’S BID Although he recognises that it woi be foolish to forecast any union | tween the English-speaking Commo- 1 wealth and the Republic of the Wf* Professor Catlin sees no practical ference between the great New Wtf republic of English-speaking peopi" and the great Commonwealth of lish-speaking peoples which, 1 e » r “is turning its back upon the Os I World.” “The Imperial Conference may iw* at Ottawa, or Sydney, or Capeto*"* and it may even assemble at "Was ington,” he says. “Already Caafc and the* Irish Free State have isters at Washington, and the’e o& War between Canada and the W States is inconceivable. “But there is a stronger argu®* ; for co-operation between these of English-speaking civilisation tl* that many of the members of the <* are blood cousins of many of the m# bers of the other, or 15 any question of war between tltf is a practical absurdity. shares in the new civilisation ihutfc* been built up in the English-?pea*S Commonwealth, and has done no I# to construct it. Australian social “ • resembles American more than lish.”