CONTROL OF COLONIES

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27094, 18 July 1953, Page 7

CONTROL OF COLONIES

“Some Should Be Handed Over” (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, July 17. The Labour member of Parliament, Thomas Reid, suggested in the House of Commons last night that Australia and New Zealand should take over some of Britain’s “two dozen petty; colonies scattered around the world.” Speaking in the debate on colonial development, Mr Reid said Australia and New Zealand were much closer to the colonies than Britain and could manage them better than Britain. Thtey were generally a burden. British Somaliland, for instance, was “on the dole," and likely to remain so. “Why should Australia and New Zealand not take over these colonies? Australia has an immense financial interest in Fiji." Mr Shinwell’s Views Mr E. Shinwell (Labour), opening the debate, said that Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa should be asked to invest more in the British colonies. Mr Shin well said that the development of the British colonies was as much a matter for the Commonwealth countries as for Britain. He suggested that there ought to be a Commonwealth Economic Council, sitting in London, with a competent and lively secretary, concerning itself continually with such matters. If Britain were to enlist the aid of the United States to invest in the British colonies, she should enlist that of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa “to a very much larger degree.” It might be said that these countries had not got the available capital, he continued, but the point remained that there was no imagination at the Colonial Office about these matters.

It appeared that the Colonial Secretary, because he was a big business man, examined these development schemes from the point of view of what profit could be made from them. That just would not do, he said. Colonies’ Capital Needs The Colonial Secretary (Mr Oliver Lyttelton) said this year’s development plans for the colonial territories involved roughly £500,000,000. This did not include private investment. Part of the plans was financed by loans, some by grants from colonial development and welfare funds, and the rest by local savings and the Colonial Development Corporation. Mr Lyttelton said he felt fairly sure that the phase when colonial development was not held back by lack of capital was passing and during the next decade Britain would be hard put to meet the need. It was necessary to promote the flow of foreign capital. The International Bank had performed the most valuable service, but its loans were only a fraction.