THE YELLOW AND BROWN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 184, 3 August 1908, Page 5

THE YELLOW AND BROWN.

1 ASIATICS IN THE COLONIES. FUTURE OF THE EMPIRE. DEPENDENT CN PRESENT STEPS. <By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright) LONDON, August 1. In the House of Commons, Colonel toeely (Under-Secretary for the Colonies), on a motion for adjournment to October 12, admitted that the question of Asiatics in the colonies was overwhelmingly important. The whole future of the Empire, he said, depended on present steps, and a false move might shatter it. Britain ought not to adopt a superior tone towards the colonies, with whom the question was more acute than here. "We are bound to admit that the selfgoverning colonies can exclude whom they will," he went on, "and we could not interfere. But certain principles might be laid down. If immigrants are admitted they must sooner or later be given civil rights. They must be admitted free or not at all." If the self-governing colonies sought to I exclude British subjects, owing to eco- j notnic reasons, to prevent wages from being cut down, or because of climatic ' conditions or social antipathy, causing triots, they ought at any rate to treat with the utmost generosity coloured immigrants already there. The Imperial Government asked that for them, and the request had been met by Canada in the friendliest spirit He was confident that the Governments of Australia, New! Zealand and South Africa would show \ the same spirit, realising the necessity for mutual forbearance. Colonel Seely said he agreed that an Imperial Secretariat should take the ; matter up. He believed it was necessary i to make the secretariat real, namely, a.! clearing-house of the Empire, where all the different laws might be examined : and reported on, enabling every part of j tho Empire to know what was being done i in other parts. Sir Gilbert Parker (Conservative member for Gravescnd) said it was essential that the structure of the national life ; should be built from the beginning by; whites, as otherwise i< would be rotten, i Colonel Deely's words would be re-echoed , in every corner of the Empire. He com- , rnenc'ed the Government for taking the right view in appealing to the colonies and conferring with them.