COLONIAL POLICY

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 38, 13 August 1920, Page 7

COLONIAL POLICY

PRESENT SPIRIT ATTACKED

THE AIM OF SELF-GOVERNMENT.

(U.NITII) TRESs ASSOCIATION.—-COP.TKIGMT.) (REtCTR'3 TELEGRAJT.) (Received August 13, 11 a.m.) LONDON, 12th August. Speaking in the- House of Commons, Colonel Wedgwood (Labour) raised the question df the general policy of \the Colonial Office. He said he feared we had recently departed from the old traditions. The Colonial Office-.had a natural bias in favour of the settler and the exploitation of countries, rather than for, assuming the attitude of blind justice of the old Administration.. This was serious in view of the fact that new constitutions were being ..granted to British East Africa, Rhodesia, and Ceylon.

Other members followed, speaking on similar lines of criticism. . ■ Colonel Amery, Under-Secretary for the Colonies, in reply, denied that there was any change in X the spirit of the" administration. Their.goal was to enable every part of the Empire to attain, when the conditions made it possible, full power to control its own affairs and develop its own destinies. To give complete Wf-government straight away to communities like the Rhodesia- and East Africa Protectorates on:any sort of franchise that could be devised would not be in the interests of the mass of the native population. ■ ;