ONE VAST EMPIRE

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 73, 28 March 1922, Page 7

ONE VAST EMPIRE

OVER A QUARTER OF THE

EAETH,

A graphic idea of the "Empire upon which the sun never sets" was given by Mr. David M'Laren in his Community Club lecture to Senior Cadets la«t night. "Let us," he said, "look at what the British Empire is materially. It occupies over one quarter of the surface of the globe, and its population exceeds one-fourth of the entire Lnman race. It is distributed over the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, whilst more than two-thirds lies in the Eastern, arid less than one-third lies in the Western Hemisphere. . . . The greater part of the Empire lies within the temperate zone, and is fit for white settlement. Let us look at its peoples. Its white population numbers 60 millions. These are'not all of the British, race; a proportion are of French, Dutch, Spanish, and other races. Belonging to the Empire are natives of India and Ceylon, 315 millions ; black races, 40 millions; Arabs, 6; Malays, 6; Chinese, 1; Polynesians, 1; and various other" elements, 1. The Empire's total' population is estimated at 435 to 445 millions. This comparison will indicate what that means., The population of all Europe is 400 millions, China 420, India. 315, United States of America 105, Kussia.loß. If we take America (tJ.S.), Russia, France, Germany, Italy, japan, the total population of all these great countries combined is 430 millions, being less in number than that of the British Empire. As showing the land it covers this is estimated at over 13 million square miles, whilst the United Kingdom, the Empire's seed plot, only occupies 121 thousand odd. Canada covers 3,730,000, and Australia 3;ls3jooo—each of them almost as large as Europe, which covers 3,750,000 square miles. New Zealand, our own little land, only covers 105,000 square miles, just a little less than the Motherland. May it be another seed plot of greatness is the hope we have for you lads and for all Soils and daughters of New Zealand."