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October 1, 1898.THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE GAZETTE.5EXTENSION OF THE EMPIRE.ACQUISITIONS SINCE 1885.It should not be forgotten, when we hear complaints that the Government are indifferent to the growth and the world-wide interests of the British Empire, how much that Empire is indebted to the Unionist party for the remarkable extension of territory during the past decade. Indeed, one of the greatest claims of Lord Salisbury’s Government to the confidence of the country rests on the fact thatthey have not been afraid to assume new responsibilities and to acquire large extensions of territory, with the objeot of opening up new markets for our commerce, and providing fresh outlets for the enterprise and colonising aotivity of the nation. No former Government has such a splendid record of achievements in this dircotion as is shown by the list of territories added to the Empire since 1885 :—Area in Sq. Miles.Country.Asia.Date ofAcquisitionPopulation.Upper Burmah Johore...• * I• ftI « Ifitft • •• ft ft• • ft• « «• • •ft ft ftBritish North BorneoBrunei........Pahang Sarawak Negri Sembilan (Confederacy Malay States)Ilong KongWei-Hai-Wei• I ft• • •ft • ft• • ft•••• • ftft • •ft ft •ft • •t « ftoff i •• • ftft • ft188518871888 1888 1888 188883,4739.000 31,1063.000 12,000 50,0002,946,933200,000175.000 20,000 67,542300.0001895189818983,36020013561,Q001,400Australia.Cook’s Islands New Guinea ...« ft ftft • ft• ft •IIIft • ft1888188830088,4608,400350,000• ft ftft • ftft • ftSouth Africa.British Bechuanland and Proteo torate Zululand Rhodesia Nyassaland Pondoland Amatongaland• •ft • •ft ft• • ft» * ftft • ftft • ftft ft ft• ft ft• ft ft• ft •ft • ft• • ft1885-90189Q1891189118941895213.000 12,500750.000 38,0004,0404,680200,000180,0001,500,000845.000166.000East Africa.ft % ftft • •♦ ft ftft • ftft t •ft « ft• • •• ft ft• •lt;Zanzibar Pemba...Somali Coast Proteotorate ...iUganda Protectorate ......British East Africa Proteotorate ...West Africa.Sierra Leone Protectorate ...Gold Coast ...Lagos ...189018901890189418956253608,640190.000230.000150,00050.00030.000 3,000,000 2,500,000ft • ftI » INiger Coast Proteotorate Niger Territoriesft • ft• ft ft* • ftft • ft• ft ft• • ft18961886-981886-981886-981886-9826,00053,3004,00068,000298,000500,0001,500,00019,0008,000,00020,000,000These figures are corrected to date, but they do not include any territory in the Valley of the Nile.POLICING THE EMPIRE.There is food for reflection and for honest p; de in observations made by Mr. St. John Brodriok, the Under-Seoretary for War, the other day. Referring to the glorious victory of Omdurman, Mr. Brodriok took occasion to point ont that our armies had been engaged in nearly every quarter of the globe. Ho might have added that they had everywhere shed new lustre on our arms. J i India, in West Afrioa, in the Soudan, and in Crete onr forces have lately been engaged in defending triumphantly the interests of the British Empire, and in maintaining the oause of law and order. It was fitting in this connection that the Under-Secretary should refer with pride to the fact that hiB department had been able to place 60,000 regulars and militia in the field for the manoeuvres without calling on the reserves. This could not have happened a few years ago. Even now many of the regiments and batteries are in a depleted condition, but the great thing was to be able to bring them together. 0 le cadres could havebeen filled up on short notice. As long as we have the organisationthe men will not be difficult to obtain. But when the beBt is said . ■l vi crantie nolice force. Itsuchthan a gigantic police lorce.Its work is mainlyour regular army it is not ipurpose is not aggressive, but is purely defensive. Its work the repression of disturbance, the correction of i ce unruly, and thlt; defence of peaceful subjects of the Queen against robbery and violenceWe are in Crete as guardians of the peace. We are in the Soudan on apolice mission, to punish murderers and robbers, and at the same time reBoue and protect honest folk from their depredations. In West Afrioa the recent operations were purely police measures in maintenance of the publio peaoe,and for the proteo fcion of life and property. On the north-west frontier, bIbo, the war was an extensive policeftmeasure to proteot our frontiers from lawless men. In bo vast an Empire as onrs, with populations so diverse in raoe, oharaoter, and degree of civilisation, the Imporial police work is unending. It is a responsibility of Empire. Disorder being repressed in one quarter may at any moment break out in another, and it would be difficult to say that perfeot peace prevailed at any given moment within every corner of the dominions of the Queen-EmpreBs. Viewed in proportion to the extent of their responsibilities, our armed force is ridioulously small. It is a mere pioket oompared with the millions of armed men kept in training by nations that have not a tenth of the population of the British Empire. It would be easy for England, thus inadequately armed, to fall in with any proposition for general disarmament. Any soheme arrived at would have to be based on a fixed proportion of ed men to population. To equalise the difference between naval. warships wouldarand military Powers, a given amount of tonnage in have to be allowed as an equivalent for so many thousand Boldiero. Any proposition based on this just and, indeed, only possible basiB, would leave Great Britain without any necessity for reduoing its armaments. On comparison, it would be found that, despite our powerful fleets, the total armaments of the Empire would be below the standard allowable, or such a standard as the European Powers would consent to. If, therefore, the people of this oountry look suspiciously on disarmament proposals, let it not be supposed that they are aotuated by selfish reasons, but by a not unnatural cur oaity as to the motives of those who propose such a measure.PERSONAL.Sir William Marriott haB juBt returned from New York. Hehas been spending five weeks in Amerioa on business oonneoted with the Central Pacific Railway, and there iB now a fair prospect of a reorganisation soheme of that company being adopted whioh will satisfy the olaims of the United States Government and those of the stockholders, who are chiefly British and Irish.The late Sir A. B. Forwood was senior partner in the firm of Leech, Harrison, Forwood, of Liverpool, and of Forwood Bros , London. He was eleoted for the Qrmskirk Division of Lancashire iu the Conservative interest in 1885, and represented that constituenoy ti ■ L thetime of his death, His majority at the last election was 2,895, It is intimated that Lord Skelmersdale (the eldest son of Lord Lathom) wi 11 be the Unionist oandidate. There are several excellent habitations in the division, and their efficient state of organisation is largely due, oi course, to the interest' taken in the League by the late Countess ofLathom.*While Mai O’Rell was leoturing in Amerioa, a certain well-known society lady offered him a handsome fee for a private leoture, whioh, contrary to his usual custom, he accepted. Then he looked at the lady’s letter again, and noticed the following poatsoript: “ I presume you will not expect to be entertained afterwards.” He promptly cancelled the engagement, and sent the following polite letter to the lady : “ Dear Madam,—As a literary man of some reputation, I have many times had the pleasure of being entertained by old French and English aristocracies, and if it will interest you, I may add that I have had the honour of being entertained by Royalties; but my ambition has never been so wild as to imagine that I should one day be enter-ained by the aristocraoy of New York! ”An interesting little ceremony was recently oarned througn an tne Southwark Police Station, when the Rev. C. Pierrepont Edwards (late R.C. of the West Southwark Habitation), known as “ the fighting parson of the Borough,” was presented with a silver tea service by the police on his retirement from the district. Mr. Edwai e, who had for several years acted as curate at St. Saviour’s, is a fine specimen of the muscular Christian. Tall and well formed, he has more than a nodding acquaintance with “ the noble art,” and during his sojourn in the rough district of which St. Saviour’s is the oentre he has not scorned to put it to practical use. Many and interesting are the tales told of his prowess in unrehearsed encounters with the ruffians of the streets. They learned to fear, and therefore to respeot him, and it is not too much to say that he leave? his post ope of the most popular clergymenin South London.
Newspaper Details
Primrose League Gazette
London, Middlesex, GB
Sat, Oct 01, 1898
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
Gettysburg C.
PA, USA 18 Nov 2022
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