The Government of Tropical Possessions.—The government of European possessions in the tropics has thus far been determined chiefly by three considerations: (1) The general incapacity of the natives, through ignorance, or lack of interest, or their undeveloped condition, to govern themselves properly. (2) The fact that the white residents are generally comparatively few in number and are only temporarily in the country, to make money and then go home again. This white population is often composed chiefly of men—soldiers, officials, merchants, adventurers. There is little inducement to found permanent homes. (3) The marked class distinctions already referred to. These generalizations must obviously not be carried too far, but what has been said is in the main true. The white residents constitute a caste, and naturally become the rulers, the home government retaining general control, often by force of arms. The native population, although largely in the majority, may have little or no voice in its own government. This is clearly not a democracy. It thus comes about that the tropics are governed largely from the temperate zone; the standards, ideals, motives, come from another land. And where governed under their own auspices, as independent republics, the success has not been great. Buckle first strongly emphasized the point that hot countries are conducive to despotism and cold countries to freedom and independence; and James Bryce has recently clearly set forth the climatic control of government in an essay on "British Experience in the Government of Colonies."[1] The very Europeans who exercise the controlling power in the tropics, themselves tend to become enervated if they live there long; they lose many of the standards and ideals with which they started; they not uncommonly tend to fall towards the level of the natives rather than to raise the standards of the latter. The peculiar situation which may arise from the government of a tropical possession in which the white race does not become acclimated has been emphasized by Dr. Goldwin Smith in a recent discussion of British rule in India. He says:
British empire in India is in no danger of being brought to an end by a Russian invasion. It does not seem to be in much danger of being brought to an end by internal rebellion. Yet it must end. Such is the decree of nature. In that climate British children can not be reared. No race can forever hold and rule a land in which it can not rear its children.
The future of tropical possessions and "spheres of influence" offers many problems of great complexity, the solution of which is largely controlled by the factor of climate.
Climate and Man in the Temperate Zones: General.—Intermediate in location, in mean temperature and in their physiological effects, the temperate zones, whatever was the condition in the past, are to-day clearly the center of the world's civilization, as they have also been the
- ↑ Century, March, 1899, 718-729.
