British Colonial System Needs Overhauling

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 6, 8 January 1936, Page 2

British Colonial System Needs Overhauling

NEW BASIS OP GOVERNMENT

LONDON, Dec. Hi,

Britain\s trade with lier Dominions and colonies touches £500,000,0U0 a year. The 60,000,000 people in these territories buy more British goods than India’s 350.000,000. llow Britain must i'aco up to the changed position has become a very live question hero in view of the growing ambitions of European Powers to recover or extend their overseas possessions.

It is expected that the affairs of Cyprus, the West Indies, Ceylon, Malta, Newfoundland and Palestine —each possessing a formidable array of grievances and problems—will occupy a large part of Parliament’s time in the immediate future.

The Morning Post says: “Britain’s attitude that she will not surrender an inch of territory to anyone is not easily maintainable when confronted with the retort that Britain seems to care little about her colonies until the claims of others are mooted. T’lio whole colonial system needs overhaul. If the new Parliament shirks its task it will be unworthy of stewardship. The system is archaic in working.’’ Only Kenya and Northern Khodesia, of the African, colonies, elect member;, to the legislature, adds the paper. They arc getting restless becauso they are in permanent minority to the Government oligarchy.

There is no real obstacle to a new basis of rule, with degrees of local internal self-government and Imperial external control, whereby young and virile immigrant communities will be able to use their knowledge and experience to manage their .own affairs. .