EMPIRE OF FUTURE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23092, 18 July 1938, Page 9

EMPIRE OF FUTURE

SIX FIRST-CLASS POWERS

THE POPULATION FACTOR HINT TO DOMINIONS LONDON, July 15 The Colonial Secretary, Mr. Malcolm Mac Donald, in an address to the London Chamber of Commerce, envisaged the British Commonwealth of Nations as comprising six first-class Powers instead of one, and exercising a still greater influence for peace and freedom .

Mr. MaeDonald sairl that Canada, Australia, Now Zealand, South Africa and Eire composed, with Britain, an Empire of six sovereign nations which exerted a great influence in world affairs, but this group had not anything like achieved its full maturity, on account of which British world influence was still comparatively limited.

If one looked a century ahead, when the Dominions would become first-class Powers associated in the British Commonwealth of Nations, the British peoples would have a decisivo influence on the history of mankind. "Our policy should be to encourage the development of the Dominions," said Mr. Mac Donald, "until each has attained first-class status, which involves supporting many more millions of people than to-day. Population is the basis of power."

The Dominions would never become great simply by pastoral and agricultural expansion. They must develop secondary industries, which British Chambers of Commerce must welcome.

BRITAIN'S COLONIES WORK OF DEVELOPMENT GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE British "Wireless RUGBY, July 15 The ninth annual report of the Colonial Development Advisory Committee shows that in the year 1937-38 the committee recommended assistance from the colonial development fund amounting to £781,098 toward schemes which it is estimated will cost £931,285. The total amount of assistance applied for during the year was £917,173, and the aggregate estimated cost of the schemes in respect of which applications wore considered was £1,021,650.

The schemes for which assistance was recommended include proposals dealing with inter-related problems of development, including conservation of the water and forest resources in Tanganyika, further development of the water supply in the Bechuanaland Protectorate and Swaziland, and the construction of a water supply system at Malta.

The committee recommended a free grant of £"207,964, spread over the next seven years, for research into the problem of the tsetse fly in South Africa.