THE QUEER BRITISH EMPIRE
The 1 Chicago Herald ’ points out the “queer” condition of the British Empire in a graphic way: “ What a queer, queer thing the British Empire is, when you come to think of it! " In ordinary times you would naturally judge from the way Ireland and the Dominions and colonies talk about Great Britain that the poor old country didn’t have a friend on earth. “In ordinary times some part of the British Empire is always berating the Home Government. “In times of peace everybody feels at liberty to assume a possible revolution in India,’ separation of the Dominions, and all sorts of other disastrous things. “In times of peace the Empire is always more or less ‘ doomed,’ according to the statements of many gloom-laden British subjects. “ But in time of war how suddenly things look up in that queer, queer British Empire! “ ‘ I haven’t a thing to take back,’ says Ireland, but under the circumstances kindly show me the enemy as soon as pin.sible. I want to get at him.* “ ‘ Yours of recent date received,* says Canada. ‘Am sending men as fast as they can be gotten away and transportation secured.’ “ ‘ Reserving for more auspicious time any hatred a part of our population bears to England,’ says South Africa, ‘we are prepared to do our utmost in the present war.’ “‘Serious local dissatisfaction will arise, sahib, unless Indians are permitted to give their lives for the honorable Empire now that it is at war with a foreign nation,’ says India. “It’s everywhere the same story. In peace it’s ‘ Confound your stupid, unreasonable, fat-headed, doomed arrogant soul!’ In time of need it’s ‘ Count on us to the limit!’ “ Which is why we say that the British Empire is a queer, queer institution,”
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Bibliographic details
THE QUEER BRITISH EMPIRE, Evening Star, Issue 15632, 24 October 1914
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295THE QUEER BRITISH EMPIRE Evening Star, Issue 15632, 24 October 1914
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