Introduction
John Buchan explains why the German Empire took the risk of engaging the British Empire in the Great War. The risk did not seem very serious, because the British had let their colonies become so independent and decentralised that London had no way to make them fight. And that was where the Germans made their mistake.
BRITAIN, in German eyes, had not the vitality to organize her territories for a common purpose. The view was natural, for to Germany empire meant a machine, where each part was under the exact control of a central power. To her local autonomy seemed only a confession of weakness, and the bonds of kinship an idle sentiment.
The British conception of empire, on the other hand, was the reverse of mechanical. She believed that the liberty of the parts was necessary to the stability of the whole, and that her Empire, which had grown “as the trees grow while men sleep,” was a living organism far more enduring than any machine. She had blundered often, but had never lost sight of the ideals of Burke and Chatham.* She had created a spiritual bond
“Which, softness’ self, is yet the stuff
To hold fast where a steel chain snaps.”*
By the gift of liberty she had made the conquered her equals and her allies, and the very men she had fought and beaten became in her extremity her passionate defenders.*
* Edmund Burke (1729-1797) was MP for Bristol and a severe though constructive critic of British policy in India during the time when our interests there were wholly in the hands of the East India Company, a government-backed agency. See The Bond of Liberty. William Pitt the Elder (1708-1778), 1st Earl of Chatham, was Prime Minister in 1757-61 and 1766-68. Especially after his time in office, he was admired for his stirring speeches and defence of the peculiarly British understanding of liberty. See posts tagged William Pitt the Elder (4).
* Taken from ‘What’s Become of Waring?’ by Robert Browning (1812-1889), a humorous verse lamenting the decision of Alfred Domett to emigrate to New Zealand in 1841. Browning imagines the absconded ‘Waring’ in Moscow, hobnobbing with the Tsar and his snuff-taking generals; their sashes are the soft stuff stronger than steel.
* While Buchan was no doubt right in thinking that Britain was preferable to Germany as a colonial master, even money cannot buy love if freedom is wanting: see W. Somerset Maugham on The Lessons of Empire.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Bond. Extremity. Lose.
2 Any. Make. Stability.
3 Become. Tree. Whole.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Chain. 2 Believe. 3 Stuff. 4 View. 5 Sleep. 6 Man. 7 Make. 8 Hold. 9 Eye.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
n (7+4)
aeon. an. in. ion. no. on. one.
eon. nae. nee. uni.
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