ADVANCE OF BRITISH COLONIES

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14571, 15 January 1948, Page 3

ADVANCE OF BRITISH COLONIES

CLOSER RELATIONS AIMED AT

International Aspects

In 1947

Special Needs Of Small

Countries

(Special to The Times—By Radio) London, Jan. 8.

The movement towards closer relations between the countries in the colonial sphere proceeded steadily in 1947. Associations begun during the war were strengthened and collaboration was developed in new regions. These tendencies show the growing appreciation of world solidarity and of the need for small countries to form larger associations.

Regional co-operation increased ir South Asia in the South Pacific and in the Caribbean in Africa as i whole and in West, East and Central Africa. In addition the League oi Nations' mandates in Africa <administered by Britain, France and Belgium were placed under United Nations Trusteeship. Britain als< provided the United Nations General Assembly with full information about all her other dependencies.

In South Pacific

The South Pacific Commission to advise on economic and social development was set up in February. The Governments taking part are Australia, New Zealand, the U.S.A., Britain, France and the Netherlands. It has a permanent Research Council. The inhabitants and territories concerned are to be associated with the Commission in a South Pacific Conference. The Caribbean Commission (Britain, the U.S.A., France and Holland) in June held its first meeting since it set up an International Secretariat in Trinidad. It decided to have its own broadcasting service.

Portugal joined the existing association of Britain, France and Belgium in tackling the common technical problems. Conferences were held at Dakar and in Paris and London on such subjects as communications, soil conservation, nutrition, medical education, the tsetse fly, rinderpest, typanosomiasis and other scientific matters. A programme of further conferences in Africa was arranged. The British and French officials decided to exchange information regularly through personal visits. The Asian Relations Conference was held at Delhi in the spring to discuss economic and social problems. All members of the British Commonwealth in that area attended. The reconstruction of war stricken areas occupied several Regional Conferences. The Fisheries Conference at Singapore last January was attended by Australia, India, Burma, Ceylon, Malaya and Hongkong among others. Singapore was also the scene of a series of International Rice Conferences. The United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East held its first session in June at Shanghai. In August at Singapore twenty of the South East Asia countries took part in first International Social Welfare Conferenc p . The colonies were also represented at the international meetings on world problems. The Geneva Trade and Employment Conference was attended by West Indian Delegates. The British Delegation to the U.N.E.S.C.O. Conference in Mexico included a colonial expert. Regional Groupings

There were notable steps during 1947 in regional co-operation beIween the British dependencies. The West Indies Conference, on closer association, opened by the Secretary of State in September m Jamaica, decided in favour of the formation of a British-Caribbean Federation on the Australian Federal model. Its constitution is being studied in preparation for a report next year. At several Regional Specialist Conferences, progress was made resolving obstacles to closer association. ■ In East Africa after a year of debate and argument on the nature of inter-territorial organisation it was decided to set up a high commission consisting of the governors of Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, East African Central Assembly and an executive organisation supported by advisory and consultative bodies New arrangements were set in motion at the New Year. Without involving political union or fusion they will provide a constitutional framework for the administration of services which are in fact, and bv their nature, inter-territorial. The West African Council, set up the previous year, held a second meeting at Accra, Gold Coast under The chairmanship of the UnderSecretary of State for the Colonies.

Civil aViation, higher education, and customs uniformity were discussed. The Central African Council (the Rhodesias and Nyasaland) was chiefly concerned with the care and control of migrant labour. Education, research, tourism and hydroelectric power were also examined.