An Empire : Ocean-wide 



to descend upon a cable, the breakage of the 

 latter is no unlikely event. 



A hundred years ago, and less, Englishmen 

 living and toiling in India reckoned themselves 

 happy if, when they wrote "home," a reply came 

 by return of post in ten or twelve months. 



Now answers to questions can be obtained in 

 a few weeks, by post ; and in cases of emer- 

 gency, news of life or death, of safe arrival or 

 recovery from illness, within a few hours. 



Before the close of the Eighteenth Century, 

 a British Embassy was sent to China, to inter- 

 view the then Emperor of that always difficult 

 country. The Ambassador and his suite were 

 received with elaborate politeness, at the end of 

 their tedious voyage. China was verbally polite 

 then, as now. But an intimation followed, warn- 

 ing the visitors that, if they wished to escape 

 unpleasant consequences, they had better take 

 themselves off so soon as might be. Which they 

 had to do, since no Army was at hand to back 

 them up against a good many millions of yellow 

 barbarians. 



The story of all this reached England, and 

 was given in the Times, exactly one year after it 

 happened. 



Now the contrast ! We know at breakfast 



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