The Growth of the Empire. By Arthur W. Jose. (John
Murray. 6s.)—The position of this "Handbook to the History of Greater Britain" is already assured. It is unnecessary to do more than call attention to the changes and additions which are to be found in the present edition. The introductory chapter and chaps. 1-6 remain substantially as they were. These relate to early adven. ture, colonisation, and conquest, to the struggle between this country and France for Empire in the West, to India, and to Australasia. Chaps. '7 and 8 are rewritten, augmented, and brought up to date. In these Mr. Jose deals with Africa, both South and North ; and in chap. 9, under the title of "Imperial Developments," he discusses the Federation movement in North America, the recent course of events in Australasia and the Pacific, ending with the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia, and gives a sketch of Indian history since the transfer of this dependency from the Company to the Crown. He has also a brief but suggestive account of the great trade routes. Most readers will turn with special interest to the African chapters. Here is a vigorous statement of British short- comings in respect of this province of British duty and responsi- bility :—" England, as a whole, had not woke up from the dreams of the sixties,' that promised her the commercial autocracy of the world at the price of political quietism and non- interference beyond the bounds of the home islands. The Disraeli Ministry, it seemed to our unimaginative middle classes, had dragged the nation into futile wars with Zulu and Afghan, while entangling it at the same time in the complications of Turkish misrule. It was the St. Martin's summer of mid-century doc- trinarianism,—the last triumph of political a priori theorists over the scientific investigator of conditions. The years had come upon us which began with the disgrace of Frere and ended with the death of Gordon." This shows the point of view from which our author regards the subsequent relations between the British Government and its neighbours, whether white or coloured, in South Africa. A few pages give a sufficient account of Egyptian affairs up to the Fashoda crisis. We do not quite understand what 31r. Jose means when he says that "the nation, as a whole, saw no reason to be anything but dignified,—and rather overdid it." The action of France was as deliberately provocative as anything that occurred in the century, and our action in the matter cannot be praised too highly.
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