BRITISH COMMONWEALTH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23529, 18 June 1938, Page 27

BRITISH COMMONWEALTH

SENTIMENT OF NATIONALISM FORCES IK THE EMPIRE ; iFrom Our Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail' LONDON, May 25. ■ At a session of the annual conference of the Empire Press Union, Mr Malcolm MacDonald, who is now the Colonial Secretary but who was until a few days ago Secretary of State for the Dominions, gave his views on the future of the Empire. Speaking of the potentialities ot the British Commonwealth of Nations, he pointed out that one of the members--Great Britain—was an absolutely firstclass Power. They looked forward to seeing the Commonwealth, two or three generations hence, as an association of nations, three or four members of which would be first class, or nearly first class, Powers. In that event, the people of the Commonwealth would be able to play a very powerful part in guiding, if not in actually deciding, the destinies of mankind. Dealing with the possibility of ai disintegration of the Empire, he said there was no doubt that in some of the dominions large numbers of people who had been badly bitten by nationalism. He was not criticising that sentim&n of nationalism in the least. On the contrary, he thought it was natural, proper, and absolutely right, and there would be something wrong if strong sentiments of nationalism did not exits in the free dominions. It had to be recognised that there were elements in the nationalist movements which might one day lead to one of the dominions going outside the Commonwealth. , , . “I do not believe that is going to happen,” declared Mr MacDonald. In the first place, it seems to me that the legitimate aspirations of the dominions for freedom have been completely satisfied inside the British Commonwealth. In the second place, there are surely other forces at work inside the dominions, as well as inside this country, which make not for disintegration, but for continued association and partnership. ... “Some of these forces were material considerations, and others were sentimental and spiritual. Among the material considerations was the question of trade and security, depending on the British Navy. Among the sentimental and spiritual forces was sentiment of kinship, which would be very difficult indeed ever to break. There were peoples in the dominions, such as the French in Canada, and the Dutch in South Africa, among whom that sentiment did not exist, but between them and us there was a perfect community of political ideas and ideals. , "We are living in a world where there is a great conflict between different political philosophies,” went on Mr MacDonald. “ Our ideals .are freedom, democracy, and toleration. The French in' Canada and the Dutch in South Africa are as passionately attached to those ideals as we are. W» are all, in the dominions and this country, becoming gradually conscious that in the British Commonwealth of Nations we are engaged in a political experiment of vast importance to many other people besides ourselves. The greatest need of mankind to-day Is for a practical internationalism. If peace is ever to be established, then the free and equal nations of the earth have got to discover machinery and methods which will enable them to consult and co-onerate together and avoid war. “ In the history of mankind, all sorts of experiments with that in view have broken down and failed. Since the war we have had the League of Nations. It has had its successes and its failures, and sometimes one wonders whether that too is not going to end in almost complete disillusionment. ■! do not think it will, but sometimes one wonders. Then we suddenly realise that in the midst of all this, inside the British Commonwealth, there is a miniature league of free and equal nations. If we cannot make our Commonwealth, our co-operation, our partnership, a success, then there is no hope at all of the 50 or 60 other nations, with their rival interests arid different temperaments and characteristics. making the larger League of Nations a success. But if we can make our little League of Nations a success it may be that the methods and machinery and procedure by which we are successful will serve as models for the ultimate success of the League of all peoples of the world.” >■