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THE RELATIVE GROWTH OF THE EMPIRE 237
Russia to be of so serious a nature in many respects
as the growth of Germany, because Germany is much
more advanced educationally and otherwise than Russia;
but the people of Russia have of late years gone
largely into industrial and manufacturing pursuits, and,
jf this internal development goes on, as it seems likely
to do, a rapid increase in the material force of Russia
and in its mobility for purposes of external action is to
be looked for.
Lastly, we have to consider the United States, where
the increase of population has been so remarkable for
more than a century, and where the development of
industrial and manufacturing power internally has also
been greater than any similar development that has
ever been witnessed. This state too has just within
the past year definitely adopted a policy which brings
it into action as a colonizing power. The population
of the United States, mainly a population of the same
character as the white population of the British Em-
pire itself, is, moreover, between 70,000,000 and
80,000,000, or much greater than the white population
of the British Empire, increasing also at rather a more
rapid rate. .
The general effect, then, is that while we held our
Colonial Empire in former times with no other rival
than that of France capable of challenging our posses-
sions, we have now France in a position of inferiority
as compared with what it was, but at the same time
we have three other powers-Germany, Russia, and
the United States-who may also have to be reckoned
with. Externally, then, our position is somewhat dif-
ferent from what it has been in former times.
As the net result I do not believe that, for the pre-
sent at least, the British Empire is in any.real danger.
Each power with whom we have to deal has its own
difficulties. and a coalition of powers seems unlikely
in the last degree. their interests being so entirely
different. At the same time, all of them, excepting
perhaps Germany, have for the present a large amount