THE GROWTH OF THE WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 85, 30 March 1908, Page 4

THE GROWTH OF THE WORLD

An attractive article on "The Orowth of the World." from the pen of the hi to Sir Spencer Walpole, appears in the Contemporary Review. Its purpoHt' is "to show how different the world of today is from tile world of which we read in aaeient history. The world of Homer was the world which surrounded the Aegnn. Thti world of the Roman Consulate was the world which surrounded tlie Mediterranean. The flag of Empire lias now moved from the Aegan to the Mediterranean, from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. Hut while thene rant additions have been made to tlie earth's surface, the world in ailother sense lias become smaller. Steam and electricity have almost annihilated distance; and voyages, which would have had terrors for the boldest two centuries ago, are now undertaken by any pleasure-seeker who has tim« and money at his command, The Atlantic Ocean itself doe* not. rouse the fears \rtiioh the Aegaa inspired in the breast of Homer; and the man who takes a ticket for a voyage round the world may certain of accomplishing his purpose in less time than Jonah juiut have expected to occupy when he took his ticket, or at any rate his fare, on a vessel trading to Tarshiah. (Jeograiihv has been sometime, called the handmaid of pJstory; and 110 man, it is certain, can : understand the history of anv country without some knowledge of geography. 11l the same wnv, however accural civ we may know the history of mankind. v« shall have an inaccurate idea of it as a whole it we do not realise, thai. 1 lie most important factor throughout has not been the struggle of race, or religion, or the revolutions of race and reliffion, but. what, we have ventured In call The Crowth of the World."