Panorama of Empire

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23809, 9 November 1940, Page 4 (Supplement)

Panorama of Empire

By J.H.H.

WHEN a humorist takes it 1 ' upon himself to be serious the result is not to lie foreseen. Dan Leno tells us how he once sang a solo in church, and the congregation was convulsed. But he was a comedian: a better parallel to the present instance is that of Charres Dodgson, who was more proud of his treatise on geometry, than of his "Alice" books. So here is Professor Leacock on the structure and economics of the British Empire, and making a fine job of it, too. The book is intended primarily for American readers, but there is much in it for all of us. He writes with sympathy and understanding of Britain's difficulties, of her casualness, and of her genius for compromise. As one might expect, the volume is full of humour. Of the Empire as a whole he says: "It has no corporate existence. It has no offices, no money, and no assets. You

Professor Stephen Leacock's Views

can't bring a suit against it. In fact, you can't find. it. Like tho famous Mrs. Harris, there's no such person." "In Eire," lie writes, "the British Hag does not fly, the national language is Irish, with English officially a substitute in tho legislature and the courts, and the King is only King of Eire outside of it, not in it. The rest of the Empire accepts this as a way the Irish have of being British without admitting it." And again, -of Ireland's neutrality in the present war: "This is a strange thing. There has been no war in Europe for hundreds of years without tho Irish in it on one side or the other side, or on both. . . . But it may presently prove that tho Gnelic for neutrality has a kick in it." Tho information given, whether statistical or otherwise, is full and sound, the conclusions he draws fair and sano. Note that one conclusion is: "Depreciated currency is an invisible way of lowering wages and increasing profits." The volume is sprinkled with humour, hut the impression remains that behind the humour is sound common sense. • "Our British Empire," by Stephen Leacock (The Bodle.v Head.)