GREAT BRITAIN 



2585 



GREAT BRITAIN 



tions; and ordinary traffic was compelled to 

 take a second place. The railroad employees 

 showed great promptness in enlisting for mili- 

 tary service, and one road, the North Eastern, 

 sent so many volunteers that these were 

 formed into a separate battalion. 



Great Britain has excellent telegraph and 

 postal systems, both of which are owned and 

 controlled by the government. The income 

 of the postal service is greater than its expend- 

 iture, but the telegraph service is carried on 

 at a slight yearly loss. 



Commerce. In treating this subject it must 

 be kept in mind that it is in this aspect of its 

 industrial life that Great Britain suffered most 

 severely from the War of the Nations. That 

 struggle broke in sharply upon the commercial 

 supremacy of Great Britain, but just what its 

 permanent effects will be, it is impossible to 

 predict. Figures given below have reference 

 to conditions just previous to the outbreak of 

 the war. 



Expansion of trade has been at the basis of 

 Great Britain's desire for colonial expansion; 

 protection of trade has been the incentive for 

 its constant insistence upon naval supremacy, 

 and from the time of Queen Elizabeth British 

 commerce has been steadily growing. The 

 British merchant marine is the largest in the 

 world, and for many years has carried not only 

 the commerce of Great Britain and its colonies, 



but much of that of other nations as well, 

 including the United States. The imports have 

 increased in value more rapidly than the 

 exports, for certain manufacturing industries 

 which once were carried on almost exclusively 

 in Great Britain have been developed on the 

 Continent as well, and in the United States 

 and Canada. In the years just before the 

 War of the Nations the total imports amounted 

 to more than $3,843,000,000, while the exports 

 were approximately $2,506,000,000, exclusive of 

 imports reexported. Practically all of the 

 exports are manufactured articles and coal, 

 while the imports are largely foodstuffs and raw 

 materials. Of the countries engaged in trade 

 with Great Britain, the United States is the 

 largest furnisher of imports, Germany, British 

 India, France and Argentina ranking next, in 

 that order; while British India, Germany and 

 Australia receive the heaviest exports in nor- 

 mal years. 



Religion. Closely associated as they are, 

 England and Scotland differ in their dominant 

 religion (see ENGLAND and SCOTLAND, subheads 

 Religion). In England the established church 

 is the Church of England, while in Scotland 

 the Presbyterian Church is strongest. It is an 

 interesting fact that the Presbyterians who 

 originated in Scotland and have there had 

 their stronghold ever since are in England one 

 of the least numerous of the dissenting sects. 



The British Empire 



Great Britain is but the nucleus of the Brit- 

 ish Empire the largest empire in the world, 

 with possessions on every continent and in 

 every clime. "The sun never sets on British 

 soil" is the Englishman's proud boast, and it 

 is literally true. Nearly one-fourth of the 

 land surface of the globe is included in this 

 Empire, which has a total area of about 12,- 

 000,000 square miles, while the total population 

 is estimated at more than 422,076,000. 



The contrasts presented by the various parts 

 of this vast, scattered empire are very sharp. 

 There are great fertile sweeps, and there are 

 desert stretches where none but the nomad can 

 live (see NOMAD LIFE). There are great rivers, 

 high mountains, large lakes, and there are other 

 stretches of unvarying monotony, with neither 

 mountain nor water to lend attractiveness. 

 Some of the dwellers under the British flag are 

 among the most intellectual, highly developed 

 people in the world; others are rude, primi- 

 tive peoples but little removed from savagery. 



Varied methods are necessary for dealing with 

 these differing possessions, and several of these 

 have been brought to a high state of develop- 

 ment. In certain territories, known as pro- 

 tectorates, the native government continues in 

 force, British representatives having merely 

 advisory power. Most of the African posses- 

 sions, as Nyasaland, Nigeria and Uganda, are 

 of this rank. 



Other territories are called colonies, and are 

 governed by officials appointed by the British 

 Crown. Of such colonies there are two classes 

 the self-governing, as Canada and the Com- 

 monwealth of Australia, in which the ministers 

 are responsible to the colonial legislature, and 

 only the Governor-General is under the con- 

 trol of the home government; and the crown 

 colonies, so-called, the officials of which are 

 directly controlled by the British department 

 of state for colonies. In the following list, 

 which contains the chief colonial possessions, 

 with their area and population, no attempt is 



