CLIMATE IN SOME OF ITS RELATIONS TO MAN 263 



The Government of Tropical Possessions. — The government of 

 European possessions in the tropics has thus far been determined 

 chiefly by three considerations: (1) The general incapacity of the na- 

 tives, through ignorance, or lack of interest, or their undeveloped con- 

 dition, to govern themselves properly. (2) The fact that the white 

 residents are generally comparatively few in number and are only 

 temporarily in the country, to make money and then go home again. 

 This white population is often composed chiefly of men — soldiers, 

 officials, merchants, adventurers. There is little inducement to found 

 permanent homes. (3) The marked class distinctions already referred 

 to. These generalizations must obviously not be carried too far, but 

 what has been said is in the main true. The white residents constitute 

 a caste, and naturally become the rulers, the home government retain- 

 ing general control, often by force of arms. The native population, 

 although largely in the majority, may have little or no voice in its own 

 government. This is clearly not a democracy. It thus comes about 

 that the tropics are governed largely from the temperate zone; the 

 standards, ideals, motives, come from another land. And where gov- 

 erned under their own auspices, as independent republics, the success 

 has not been great. Buckle first strongly emphasized the point that 

 hot countries are conducive to despotism and cold countries to free- 

 dom and independence ; and James Bryce has recently clearly set forth 

 the climatic control of government in an essay on " British Experience 

 in the Government of Colonies." 2 The very Europeans who exercise 

 the controlling power in the tropics, themselves tend to become ener- 

 vated if they live there long; they lose many of the standards and 

 ideals with which they started; they not uncommonly tend to fall 

 towards the level of the natives rather than to raise the standards of 

 the latter. The peculiar situation which may arise from the gov- 

 ernment of a tropical possession in which the white race does not 

 become acclimated has been emphasized by Dr. Goldwin Smith in a 

 recent discussion of British rule in India. He says: 



British empire in India is in no danger of being brought to an end by a 

 Russian invasion. It does not seem to be in much danger of being brought to 

 an end by internal rebellion. Yet it must end. Such is the decree of nature. 

 In that climate British children can not be reared. No race can forever hold 

 and rule a land in which it can not rear its children. 



The future of tropical possessions and " spheres of influence " offers 

 many problems of great complexity, the solution of which is largely 

 controlled by the factor of climate. 



Climate and Man in the Temperate Zones: General. — Intermediate 

 in location, in mean temperature and in their physiological effects, the 

 temperate zones, whatever was the condition in the past, are to-day 

 clearly the center of the world's civilization, as they have also been the 



2 Century, March, 1899, 718-729. 



