EAST AND WEST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 169, 10 April 1908, Page 7

EAST AND WEST.

CAN RIGID EXCLUSION BE MAINTAINED? A ONE-SIDED.BARGAIN. WARNING BY MR. LYTTELTON. OT TELEGRAPH —I'UESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. London, April 8. Presiding at a meeting of tlio colonial section of tho Society of Arts, at which a number of ■ representative' Australians .. wcro present, Mr. Richard Jebb read a.paper advocating the general adoption'of tlio Natal (Alien Exclusion) Act in tlio self-governing ; colonies. V The Right Hon. Alfred Lyttelton (who was Secretary of State for tlio Colonies ill Mr. Balfour's Government) agreed that j' Mr. Jebb's conclusion that , tho self-governing colonies were irrevocably determined not to admit effective competition from Asiatics was substantially true, but. proceeded'to utter a gravo warning. ' : • '' . , "Wo must bo' prepared for tho consequences," ha remarked, " when wo.consider what a tremendous, thing it would bo fortho Empire if all tho races of India united against the pretensions, ofthe. Western, nations, who practically demand a monopoly for Western peoplo in the lands of Westerns, and their free competition oil) terms of abso--lute equality with Eastern peoples." Ho felf that, though tho colonies might bo ablo to maintain that position,for. twenty or twenty-five years, he was doubtful : whether Britain would bo able, to,, support them indefinitely in. a policy of Asiatic exclusion. Ho described ; as pregnant. Mr. Jebb's suggestion that India "might; bo "'compensated with fiscal freedom. v.. '' ' ' ■ ''- Lord Ampthill (a .former- Governor "of'.) Madras and temporary 'Viceroy- of ; India) urged the need for an Iniporial Conference on tho whole subject. " . ,; A GENERALISATION. NO. SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE > COLONIES." . " (Rec. April 9, 9.35 p.m.); . j ! . . / ■■' ' . London, • April 9.' - 1 Mr..Lyttolton,' in a'letter to "The Times," explains, with regard to his speech, that ho intended to convoy a doubt, not to whether the self-governing colonies specially, but as to whether tho Westerli world, could permanently maintain-tho position; of' demanding a monopoly for themselves in tho West, and, at tlio same time,; equal ahd free competition in tho. East. \:v The Natal Act provides, an. educational ,t;est for persons seeking to. enter, that'colony.)