outside the limits of Europe.

It may be well first to define "British interests" and to show that
these are not necessarily synonymous with European interests. British
interests are: first, the control of all the seas of all the world--in
full military and commercial control. If this be not challenged peace
is permitted: to dispute it seriously means war.

Next in order of British interests stands the right of pre-emption to
all healthy, fertile, "unoccupied" lands of the globe not already in
possession of a people capable of seriously disputing invasion, with
the right of reversion to such other regions as may, from time to
time prove commercially desirable or financially exploitable, whether
suitable for British colonization or not.

In a word, British interests assume that the future of the world shall
be an English-speaking future. It is clear that sooner or later the
British colonies, so called, must develop into separate nationalities,
and that the link of a common crown cannot bind them forever. But, as
Sir Wilfred Laurier said at the recent Imperial Conference: "We bring
you British institutions"--English language, English law, English
trade, English supremacy, in a word--this is the ideal reserved for
mankind and summed up in words "British interests."

Turn where you will these interests are in effective occupation, and
whether it be Madeira, Teneriffe, Agadir, Tahiti, Bagdad, the unseen
flag is more potent to exclude the non-British intruder than the
visible standard of the occupying tenant. England is the landlord of
civilization, mankind her tenantry, and the earth her estate. If this
be not a highly exaggerated definition of British interests, and in