The Press. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1910. THE COLONIAL OFFICE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13883, 7 November 1910, Page 6

The Press. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1910. THE COLONIAL OFFICE.

The anticipations of tlio English Press of a change in tho machinery connecting tho colonies with the ard interesting, but wo shall probably r.ofc Jinoiv the mind of the Imperial Government on tho question until the Imperial Conference meets next year, \>y ivliich time Mr -Asquith's Cabinet may l>o on the Opposition benches. That there is something in the wind is protty clear from a speecli made by Ix)rd Orewo six months ago. Tho Colonial Secretary said "he did noK " think he vrae altogether wronj; in " forecasting that the present official " arrangement, by which the samo> "official, the Secretary of vState for "the Colonies, looiu'd after the busi- " ne&s eoiun-ctc<l -\vicii the great. Do " minions, and also lookc<l after the " rest of tlio .lCmpiro beyond the seas, ** Tritli the exception of India, wa? not " an arrangement v.hich was like!. per"manently to last.' . The time iionld come, and it miuht soon, when the double position have to bo reconsidered with a vieu- to i>larins the Dominions under one official, and the iVoitn colonies and under another. Socin-; that official 'k. «tiarded, this must he <-on.sidercd a very significant utterance. The present arran<j;enjeiit of the Colonial Oflico is a great advance on the old order, though it does not go as far as somo of the colonial Premiers have wished. The Dominions have a department to thuraselves, tlio head of which. Sir (JharkfiL Llicas, recently made himself personally acquainted with colonial con- { ditions. At tho last Imperial Confer-

(■nee .Mr Deakin strongly advocated the herniation of n sepanne .^rtrotariat, c.m-iitiiiL; til" nvn \vi;h experk'iico of the Dominions, to bo under t):o direct ! *-;iiiTpil oi ihf Primo Minister. ;md f> I '!:-;il with questions ;iri,ssii'_r out of tlu : L' ; i^ f, inactions of the Dnminioiss. I .trif! i!'<-.-" invoivinir relations v.-ith torI < \;-:n l*!>\v.--r.'.. Lord K!pn ohjtxtid t-j ■ i:!!.-. Kt-pnratN'-ii <it fanrti'iii :!•:;. n::>T-'d w> orcato a scjrir- .-.!■■ f!c)i-,:-ii!if.in 'if thr- Colon:.!! Off.: Ito d"al \ritli tli» niTairs of tin- >cif- ' (oloiiich. Tin Cr,n;,-ivn:;<: ■ d'-cidi d thnt it \xim iKlvivt'.!.. k> I'oirn ;:i t)c: :r.:M;cnt pc-croinrinc «>:' The , (•'.iii ,l ri.T' , o, f> f'llicrc jntoriiKuifin fnr its }i:ii--r':t. ij;!ve tifrc t to it.> 1 v-niiltMl.:-, i and rf.jid'.iot <-.orrc'sj)ondenf"> rol.-itm_: tc ; ('Miii-r.iir<- lui-iness. Thi-, was dura , . I ttic '.■'•n-iariat boiriu: linked t-> t!ic ; ]i.;.".!n:<n:i I>,--j>art incut of the (.'olnnial , Oi!ir<\ |>iii. it aMiie.irs th:it winlr tiiiT'. , i> a sf-i-ivtnry, v\<>v" i? \ ■ no s'-ill". nnd that i. thf ■ ; ; <''T' tary rants lie-!'> ho ha- t«i • for it on such as-istrinv as he .' fiui sift from the Dominions IKp.ut- ■ v in' nt. The whole scheme is ivullv a iiuilcMs of a srrenter one. It display-, '" tip , lKHiil British niPiiiod of making " 'halites —slowly and <■:> m ionsl y. Two ways aro .suggested in which a further "> advance he made. Two . SecreLanes of iStato might he em])loyed , instead of one, the Secretary t : concerned with the Dominions more ■ time to devote to the- improvement of : Imperial relations, or a secretariat rniyht be established away from the Colonial Office, under the control of '' ; the Primo Minister. Direct access to the Prime Minister would lv welcomed :in til" colonies, as a recognition of our staiidiiiii in the Kmpire. Whichever 5 of these schemes commends itself to the Cabinet, one may be sure tho cheaper will commend itself to tho I ; Treasury, whoso influence in these I matters is often overlooked. It is said that Lord Kltjin's reorganisation 1 fcchcme of 1907 had to be adapted to suit the Treasury's ideas, and Mr Lloyd George may he equally hard to convince nest year. In the meantime a new Colonial Secretary takes office, ■who may prove to he a man of idJoas, and while, he is evolving them tho machinery of the Colonial Office will probably go on working with the greater smoothness of tho last few years.