From Empire to Republic

O NE of my earliest memories of childhood is of a stubborn belief that the entire eastern seaboard of North America was part of the British Empire. Only with difficulty was I persuaded by those better informed to relinquish such a misconception. What never left me was the conviction that there had occurred in history a terrible mistake: the separation of two peoples whom nature had intended to be united. My ancestors had resided on the borders of Kent and Sussex since earliest times. The impressive Roman fortifications of Anderida were only a few miles from the family farm, and a little beyond was Norman's Bay, the site of William the Conqueror's landing in io66. The physical environment stimulated an interest in the past as did my father, who was intensely interested in history, especially English history. From his experiences I learned directly of the nature of the First World War. Aroused by these narrations, I explored Cassell's History of the British People, a popular work written by leading historians of the day. Another source of early inspiration was the German-born headmistress of an infant school I attended. She had a sparkling personality and enjoyed demonstrating the vast extent of the British Empire, explaining the qualities which had created its greatness. Cartographers in the British Isles at that time splashed red-the traditional color of British authorityacross a third of the earth's surface. I began schooling at about the time the Ottawa Conference (I932) committed Britain to imperial trade agreements. Empire butchers, selling only empire meat, were near neighbors. The virtue of imperial produce, vigorously publicized by the London Daily Express, seemed a basic truth. Awareness of the United States, much of it created by Hollywood, was very restricted. As a child I perceived that America was a powerful country. I was not certain whether it was more or less powerful than the British Empire, but I was led to believe that it talked big but was given to shirking international responsibilities. As the crises of the I930S followed in quick succession, hastening a political education before childhood was over, the intentions of the United States above all nations seemed difficult to comprehend. Munich, however, sharply debated in our household as elsewhere, was the unmistakable fire bell. I began to listen attentively to the regular Saturday night broadcast from America by the commentator Raymond Gramm Swing. At the local cinema, The March of Time, a monthly feature, was savored for its

Ancient history · Empire · Political science · Australian History and Society · History