The Dominions and India.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15723, 17 October 1916, Page 6

The Dominions and India.

Wo regret to learn that Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward do not favour the project of the Empire Parliamentary Association of n Parliamentary trip to India to include representatives of tho Parliaments of tho Dominions as well as of tile fiouao of Commons. In our judgment it is most important at this crisis that we should oil learn to "think "Imperially," and that knowledge of tho varying conditions of the Empire should bo disseminated as widely as possible among its public men and leaders of public opinion. It is very essential that the problem of India should be attentively studied. In any scheme lqr the reconstruction of tho Empire the question as to what ig to be done with India is one of the fiif.t stumbling blocks to be overcome. Suppose an Imperial Parliament is set up for the decision of purely Imperial questions; a "Parliament in which there are representatives of the Dominions as well as of the Mother Country—is India to be allowed to send representatives also? Seeing that we have not yet found it expedient to grant local self-government to tho mixed races inhabiting that great dependency, it would seem out of the question that it should be represented in an Imperial Parliament exercising somo sort of jurisdiction over the self-governing Dominions, as well as over the Mother Land. On tho other hand, it is quite conceivable that the Indian people, although satisfied to remain for somo time longer under the British "Raj," might look very differently on being governed as a Dependency by a Parliament comprising not only representatives of the Mother Land, but of British colonies, such as Natal, which have a rigid exclusion law against British subjects of Indian birth.

Even if there is to be no "Parliament of the Empire''—and wo do not think we shall see it at any ratefwithin tho lifetime of the present generation —it is still most important that the case of India should be considered with a sympathy based on actual knowledge of her conditions. The magnificent part which India has played in this war has touched every British heart, and made us all feel that India will and must be regarded from an entirely new viewpoint after tho war. Already the British Government has promised that India shall not be altogether unrepresented in the next Imperial Conference.

Pending that great Council of Empire, it would certainly be a very excellent tiling if members not only of the House of Commons, but of the Dominion Parliaments could learn some of the problems of India in the most effective way, namely, by 6eeing the country and its people for themselves. The question is one of considerable importance to New Zealand, seeing that we have what is practically an Indian colony —Fiji —close to our shores, and the question of Hindu immigration into New Zealand is one that- at no distant date must come tip for consideration. We hope, if a Parliamentary visit is arranged, that members of the New Zealand Parliament will be included. And seeing that the public stands in at least a s much need of education on this subject as its representatives, we would suggest tlmt the value of such a visit would be very much increased if one or two capable journalists from each Dominion were attached to the party for the purpose of "writing up" their experiences and the information acquired durin e such a tour, in the manner most likely to bo "understanded by tlio people.' 1 We arc all firmly convinced that it is of tho Titmost importance that people in tho Mother Country should get to know more about tho Dominions. It is not less neccssary in the interests of th 6 Empire that the- question of s ludia should bo intelligently considered.