MIXED RECEPTION

Evening Star, Issue 22325, 29 April 1936, Page 9

MIXED RECEPTION

MR BALDWIN ON MANDATES CONSERVATIVE BACK-BENCHERS UNCOMPROMISING Press Association —By Telegraph— Copyright LONDON, April 28. The ‘ Morning Post’s ’ political correspondent says: “Mr Baldwin’s statement on mandated territories was received with mixed feelings in the lobbies. A majority of the Conservative back-benchers want the Government uncompromisingly to refuse to consider the demands for a transfer and believe that the Government is showing a lamentabje lack of understanding of the mentality of the Germans, who will not cease propaganda until firmly told that the doors are closed.” The Royal Institute of International Affairs has issued an exhaustive statistical survey seeking to determine how far the economic difficulties of Italy, Germany, and Japan are due to lack of colonial possessions. Convincing figures relating to the distribution of essential raw materials show that these Powers “ tend consciously or unconsciously to overstate the economic advantages of colonial changes.” * ILLUMINATING FACTS. LONDON, April 28. (Received April 29, at 10 a.m.) The Royal Institute’s report adds that her colonies relieve Britain of a deficiency of only nine out of 34 basic raw materials. If another Power annexed the whole British colonial Empire apart from the dominions it would still have inadequate supplies of raw materials, including several of the most important. The German Colonial Research Bureau’s claim that Tanganyika would support 9,000,000, coupled with Italy’s similar claims for Abyssinia, should be scrutinised in the light of the fact that the whole of Africa, after decades of colonisation, contains only 3,000,000 Europeans. Other statistics show little discrimination in favour of the mother countries. On the contrary, the principle of open access is fairly generally observed.