BRITISH COLONIES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 100, 8 February 1936, Page 6

BRITISH COLONIES

Redistribution suggestion. STRONG OPPOSITION VOICED. TWO LI NEB OF CONTENTION. (United Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.20 p.m.) LONDON, February 7. The debate in the House of Commons on Mr Lansbury’s motion in favour of a world economic conference and the references of many speakers to colonial problems, has aroused in some quarters disquiet which will find expression in both Houses of Parliament in the next few weeks. Opposition to the implied suggestion in some of the speeches of consideration of the redistribution of mandates or colonial territories is voiced by two . schools of opinion. One section is concerned at the possibility of danger ’n any transference which might be contemplated to the principle of trusteeship, to which the British colonial administration generally conforms in practice and which is embodied more formally in the League ' mandate system. The other school repudiates any idea of the cession of responsibilities Britain has assumed and deprecates doubts which may be created in colonial areas by such discussions. In the House of Lords, Viscount Elibank proposes to call attention to "the sense of misgiving and unrest being aroused in the minds of the inhabitants of the British colonies by the suggestions now being made in letters to the press and elsewhere for the handing over of British colonies to other nations, either directly or under the League of Nations’ mandates, and to ask his Majesty’s Government to declare its policy in this matter. The motion will be debated in March. In the House of Commons on Wednesday questions will be addressed both to the Foreign Secretary and to the Secretary for the Colonies. Both ask for assurances from the Government. Mr G. le M. Mander (Liberal) wishes confirmation that the Government has no intention of handing over territories held under a British mandate, and General Sir H. Page-Croft desires a guarantee that the Government is not prepared “to make British colonies the subject of batter in any world conference.’’—British Official Wireless.