d partly by the thought
and the beliefs of its public men, and partly by the course of historical
development through which each country has passed. There thus arises
gradually in each country a more or less definite policy with which the
country becomes identified. Formerly the policy of most European countries
was mainly confined to questions arising in Europe itself, but in these
days of industrial expansion the real aims of their policy generally lie
outside Europe.

There are vast regions of the world where civilised government does not
exist, or is only beginning to exist, but where the citizens of civilised
countries travel and carry on trade. No civilised country can prevent its
traders going where they please--indeed, the prosperity of every great
country now depends to some extent at least upon its traders finding
new markets for the sale of their goods--but if these traders go to an
uncivilised country like Central Africa or the interior of China or the
South Sea Islands the civilised country not only feels obliged to protect
them there, but it must also, by every claim of justice and humanity,
prevent them from ill-using the uncivilised and helpless natives.

The horrors which accompany the unregulated activity of foreign traders in
a savage country may be seen from the _Life of John G. Paton,_ a missionary
in the New Hebrides Islands of the Southern Pacific. These islands, before
they came under the government of any civilised Power, were visited by
European and American traders, especially traders in sandalwood. "The
sandalwood traders," wrote Paton, "are as a class the most godless of
men.... By them the poor defenceless natives are oppressed and robbed on
every hand; and if they offer the slightest resistance they are ruthlessly
silenced by the musket or revolver.... The sale of intoxicants, opium,
fire-arms, and ammunition by the traders among the New Hebrideans, had
become a terrible and intolerable evil." It became necessary for the
civilised Powers to prohibit, by international regulation, the sale of
fire-arms and intoxicants in the islands. Such international regulations
are always very difficult to enforce, and finally the administration of the
islands was taken over by Great Britain and France, who now govern them
jointly.

Hence the civilised countries of the world have gradually been led to
assume jurisdiction in uncivilised regions, and have converted many of them
into colonies or "protector