COLONIAL QUESTION

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 May 1939, Page 5

COLONIAL QUESTION

LORD SANKEY’S NEW PLAN. LONDON, March Ml. Viscount Sankey, the former Lord Chancellor, addressiiijs the Royal Society of Arts last, night, said rhe unconditional surrender of any of our colonies was not practical politics. But that, was not. the only method of dealing with the matter. Another plan would he to remove restrictions and enable those, who had not to obtain what they wanted. "No country.” he continued, “can become entirely self-sutiicieni. unless it owns the world, which is unlikely. •’The t'olonial question is likely to he the chief one in international at' lairs for the next few years. Unfortunately, it is one in which the interests and Iradiiions, of the tlirei’ lieinocratic States —England. France and the Fnited Slates —are in conflict with the. interests of the three Tolaliiarian States —Germany, Italy and Japan.” Some of the arguments used‘would not bear (dose examination. It was said that a. colony was an outlet for surplus population. The number oi Europeans in Africa did not appear to ■show that advantage was taken of colonies for such a. purpose. Colonisation was a slow process. “Then it. is contended that a great nation without colonies, or one which has been deprived of its colonies, suffers a loss of prestige,” continued I Lord Sankey. “This is probably the I most difficult to deal with. | ' Tito question of the use to be made of a ceded colony in the event of a ntiure war is also one which must receive- careful consideration. It is best at the moment to say that Great Britain is entitled to an answer.” Groat. Britain might find it easier to make- economic rather than territorial I sacrifices. It might be the best plan to extend the Ottawa system to those Inations who desired to come in and !share the advantage of them. A policy of doing nothing would not avail.