COLONIAL EMPIRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24254, 23 March 1940, Page 12

COLONIAL EMPIRE

FUTURE OF WEST INDIES NEED FOR AN IMPROVEMENT GOVERNMENT NOT COMPLACENT (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegrahp—Copyright) LONDON, Mar. 21. (Received Mar. 22, at 10 p.m.)

Colonial development and the recommendations of the Moyne Commission for the West Indies were raised in the adjournment debate in the House of Commons.

The Colonial Secretary (Mr Malcolm MacDonald) said there was complete agreement between members in all parts of the House as to the main objective of British colonial policy-—a steady improvement of conditions and the promotion of the well-being of the inhabitants of the colonial Empire. Taking up a point mentioned by one member, Mr MacDonald said he was very anxious to encourage the production of flax in Kenya and to in' crease it as far as possible during the war. Certain arrangements had been made about providing seed, and he could assure the House that everything that could be done to promote flax production in Kenya during the war would be done .by the Colonial Office and by the authorities in the colony itself. Coming to the West Indies, Mr MacDonald said the Government was very far from being complacent about the state of affairs which had been revealed. "The Government pledged itself before the commission started that when it presented its report and recommendations they would not be put in a pigeon-hole and forgotten. We have pledged ourselves to act energetically to the best of our ability and judgment on the recommendations. The Government is fully determined to carry out that pledge to the uttermost. The people of the West Indies can rest assured that the word of the British Government and the word of this House will be faithfully adhered to." Mr MacDonald pointed out that in a recent statement the Government had accepted straight away and without qualification some of the most important recommendations of the Royal Commission. He asked to be excused now from giving any expression of views on matters which must be dealt with by the West Indian governors, with whom he was consulting, but he would make a statement as soon as possible. He thought the debate had shown that the Government and the whole House were committed to carrying out in general the recommendations of the Royal Commission, and he hoped the debate would reinforce the impression created in the West Indies that Britain was going to be as good as its word in this matter.

Liaison With France In a parliamentary answer the Colonial Secretary, Mr Malcolm MacDonald. told the House of Commons about his talks in Paris with the French Minister for the Colonies. He pointed out that contact between the two colonial administrations was no new thing, but the object of the Paris visit was to put on a more regular permanent footing what had been in the past intermittent. The most important result was a decision to establish regular liaison machinery both between the two Ministries and between neighbouring administrations. "Such a liaison with the French colonial empire, Mr MacDonald said, will be of great value in times of peace. It is certainly no less valuable between allies engaged in war. Already since the outbreak of war various problems entailing close co-operation between the respective colonial authorities have arisen and a joint study of these is most important. p or example, during the last six months both Colonial Offices have been working on programmes for the production and marketing of essentia] foodstuffs and raw materials from their own territories. There will shortly be a joint meeting of experts to perfect the co-ordination of these two programmes, the object being that the Allies should make the fullest possible use of their joint colonial resources."