"COLONIAL” NO LONGER

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12163, 13 June 1925, Page 5

"COLONIAL” NO LONGER

BRITAIN RECOGNISES NATIONHOOD OF DOMINIONS NEW DEPARTMENT CREATED MR AMERY TO BE SECRETARY FOR DOMINIONS’ AFFAIRS The Colonial Office is no mo re. Mr Leopold Amery will in future be known as Secretary of State for the Dominions and for the Colonies. The greater part of his time will be devoted to Dominion affairs, and Mr Orxns by-Gore will take over the administration of the colonies. The change has pleased the dominions, who regard it as a tar dy recognition of their status as independent nations within the Commonwealth.

Router's Telegram LONDON. June 11. In the House of Commons. Mr Stanley Baldwin said that the Government had decided to conclude the existing organisation of the Cblonial Office, which was no longer in agreement with the actual constitutional position of the Empire, and was inadequate to undertake the extent and variety of the work thrown upon it. It also fell short of present requirements, more particularly in distinguishing between the work of consultation and co-oper-ation with the Dominions and the administrative work of the Protectorates. “It is proposed therefore that the oonduct of the Dominions’ affairs be under a new Secretary of State for Dominions’ Affairs, with his own Parliamentary Under-Secretary, wno will also act as chairman of the Overseas Settlement Committee, which will have its own permanent Cnder-Secretary. For the sake of convenience, the new Secretaryship will continue to be vested in Mr Amery, the present Colonial Secretary, and will continue to be housed at the Colonial Office. Replying to Mr Ramsay MacDonald, who asked whether the Dominions had agreed to the change, Mr Baldwin said that the Government had been communicating with them throughout. He hoped the matter would be discussed during consideration of the Colonial Office vote. DIVISION OF DUTIES. Australian and NZ. Cable Association All types of lobby opinion approve the new status of the Dominions’ Department. The net effect of the change is that a new Parliamentary UnderSecretaryship and a permanent UnderSecretaryship will be created. As Mr Amery’s salary is not changed, the new Department will not cost more than an extra £SOQp per annum. The new Under-Secretary will sit in the House of Lords. Apart from Lord Clarendon, the names of the Marquess of Linlithgow and the Earl of Onslow are mentioned. The latter has been recently answering Colonial Office questions in the House of Lords. Sir James Masterton-Smith, the present Permanent Secretary, has been ill, and will shortly resign. Two new Permanent Secretaries will then he appointed. Sir Joseph Cook states that any groposal which recognises that the •ominions are grown np to nationhood is a step in the right direction. Sir James Allen also approves the change. „ . - 'The Australian Press Agency understands that Mr Amery will continue to concentrate on Dominion affairs, while Mr W. G. A. Ormsby-Gore, present Colonial Under-Secretary, will take over colonial matters. Lord Clarendon is being freely mentioned as the new Parliamentary Under-Secretary, who will he expected to become chairman of the Overseas Settlement Committee. ,

BELATED RECOGNITION The “Daily! Herald’.’ (Labour) says: “From the workers’ viewpoint the new Dominion Department is long overdue. The dominions are no longer children to he kept in a nursery department, aud it is merely a belated recogntion of the independent nationhood of Canada, Australia, andi New Zealand. They have always felt that the Colonial Office was the wrong name to give the depar - it is wise to leave the new office in Mr Amery’s hands 18 “gather matter. He does not even understand the dominion viewpoint, and still De lieves that the Empire is together hv ‘reeking tube and iron shard. Jie talks old-fashioned stuff about a strong Navy, while the dominions’ stet^men regard him as fifty years behind the times. India must also te Kiven dommion status as soon as possible, thus mak ing the India Office a memory or the unhappy past.”

The “Daily Express” says: “The announcement will inspire the great selfgoverning nations with a new faith and a new hope. They have long attained the full status and stature of nationhood. while the Colonial Office has been for at least a generation a grotesquely inaccurate misnomer. The dominions will naturally expect the new department to be animated with energy and initiative, and the lessons to he learned by its inauguration are plain. The House of Commons ought to give the problem preference in the new orientation, while politicians should rise to new heights, and strive with all their might to lift Imperial preference from the ancient ruts of party politics. “The Labour Party is showing a healthy interest in the economics of the Empire, and it is possible that Labour may shake itself free from the shackles of an obsolete laissez faire and stretch out a helping hand to the great sisterhood of nations, which is the finest expression for democracy.” “FEELING OF DEPENDENCE GONE.” (Received June 12, 5.5 p.m.) • The “Daily Chronicle’s” political correspondent states that though Mr Amery’s title actually will be Secretary of State for the Dominions and for the Colonies he will popularly be known as Secretary of State for the '*■ Dominions, and will devote the major part of bis time to dominion affaire. The “Moring Post” editorially remarks that the departure is an acknowledgment that the old feeling of dependence, justly resented by the dominions. has now no justification whatever. It should facilitate co-operative measures for reducing expense and giving further expression and greater weight to the unity of the Empire, and its common determination. We hope Air Amery will he able regularly to visit the dominions.” BENEFIT TO COLONIES, TOO (Received June 12, 7.5 p.m.) Air Leopold Amery, the Dominions Secretary, in a speech at the Corona Club, said the reconstruction of the Colonial Office was only an outward isgn of a process which had been maturing for some time. He pointed out there was a fundamental difference between consultation with the partner nations in the Commonwealth and the administration and development of the colonies, for which Parliament was directly responsible. The rearrangement would benefit the colonies no less than the dominions. “We are on the threshold of a great development and expansion of the colonial empire.” he concluded. MUCH SATISFACTION VIEWS OF PRIME MINISTER Asked by the “Times” for his views on the changes, the Prime Minister said last evening:— “The New Zealand Government has received with much satisfaction the statement made by the British Prime Minister. The proposals represent an earnest desire on the part of His Alajesty’s Government to recognise the status and sentiment of the overseas dominions. The name of the Colonial Office has long since grown out of date as being appropriate for Britain’s self-governing dominions, and on this account the new designation of the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs is to be warmly commended. The proposed organisation will tend greatly to facilitate the increasing volume of communication on foreign policy the work of oversea settlement, and, I hope, enable British Ministers to have greater opportunity of personal intercourse and travel among the various portions of the King’s dominions. I feel sure public opinion in New Zea< land will heartily approve the proposal, as evidence of a desire both to recognise the Dominion position and to co, operate more effectively in matters cl mutual or common interest.”