A COMPARATIVE INTERNATIONAL CHART.

Otago Witness, Issue 2370, 3 August 1899, Page 45

A COMPARATIVE INTERNATIONAL CHART.

Abranged by E." N. Adams.

A table of figures comparing the relative powers of the nations of the world suggests but vaguely, however carefully we may read it, the true differences that exist between them, but a perusal of the accompanying chart cannot fail to impress the mind of any one with the condition' of things in respect to the strength of the nations in the matters dealt with. Minute mathematical precision has not been aimed at so much as a very clear approximate view of how one nation stands as compared with its contemporaries. To every patriotic citizen of our own empire it must be very gratifying to observe that in only two items shown in the chart is the British Empire not far in advance of all others ; and in those two items, — viz., the army and the national debt, it is no discredit to come behind our competitors. The British National Debt is being

I reduced by large amounts yearly, while others are either stationary or increasing. France with her comparatively small possessions owes more than the whole of our vast empire, "with little prospect of a. revenue sufficient to meet her outlay, much less reduce her indebtedness. Our commerce and our large coastal territory depend mostly on the efficiency of .our navy, so that we do not require a large standing army. The following extracts from an article in the Daily Mail of December 6, 1898, will be read with interest : — " Five hundred years ago the AngloSaxons were at the bottom of the tree in the number of population and territory occupied. The Slavs and the Latins competed for first place. " Now the Anglo-Saxon is right away at the top, and the others look up at him with mixed . feelings of admiration, hatred, and envy. From beingone of the weakest

of European peoples, the Anglo-Saxon today rules " nearly a third of the world's territory, and an equal proportion of its people. And he hasn't done growing yet. "At the opening of the fifteenth century the Anglo-Saxons ruled less than 250,000 square miles of territory and about 4,000,000 . ot peoibie. To-day, theh flag floats over 15.0(50.000 square miles, and 475,000,000 peuple — a gain, of over a hundredfold. "in 1850 Anglo-Saxon territory had ex-r-4!uied to 11,250,000 sqvsre miles, and a quarter of a century later .to 12,200,000 ; square miles. The population swelled to 161,000,000 in 1850, and to 335,000,000 in ! 1875." i The chart is in need of no explanation, unless it be in the two instances in which the line of the British Empire is turned downwards at right angles. That is done, however, simply to save space in our columns.