ould find on
looking the matter up in any book of reference that the British Empire
now includes nearly thirty Parliaments.[69] He would discover that the
powers of the central authority have been gradually waning until
practically every great white community outside the United Kingdom has
now complete control over its own local affairs. He might even be
excused some astonishment if he discovered also that these communities
placed heavy taxes on the imports of the mother country, and were in no
degree restrained from doing so, and that there even existed a party in
the home country who contended that that act of filial attention ought
to be rewarded by special preferences to colonial imports at home.
Perhaps he would be most astonished when he discovered that these
colonies were now engaged in raising their own navies and armies, which
might possibly in the future be used for purposes independent of the
central control.

Pursuing his enquiries, he would discover that this country of Great
Britain had conducted at great cost of life and money, less than ten
years ago, a war to prevent the separation and secession of one great
white community--that of South Africa--and that, having carried that
war to a successful conclusion, the central government had followed up
that war by granting to that great white community a strong central
local government, with complete control of its local affairs. "You talk
about the tendency to unity," he would say, "but have we not here a
clear instance of division?"

To all of which we should reply, and reply correctly--"Not at all! The
secret of our Empire is that we have found unity in difference. We have
achieved the miracle of combination by means of division of power."

We should probably have some difficulty in persuading him of this
truth. He might be some Rip Van Winkle, who had gone to sleep during
the War of American Independence, and still derived from those days his
notions of the right principles of colonial government. But if he
conducted his enquiries further he would end by being fully persuaded.
For what would he discover? He would find out that in spite of, or
perhaps by means of, this principle of division the British Empire was
now the most united Empire in the world. He would learn the amazing
story, incredible to almost any other nation, of the great rally of
colonial troops to the help of the Empire at the time of the Boer War.
He would read of the periodical Imperi