THE ASIATIC QUESTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9157, 3 August 1908, Page 5

THE ASIATIC QUESTION.

SPEECH BY MAJOR SEELY

ATTITUDE OP THE COLONIES

Received August 2, 4.5 p.m. LONDON, August 2

In the House of Commons, Major Seely. on the motion for "the adjournment of the House to the 12th October, admitted that the Asiatic questoin in the colonies was an overwhelmingly important one. The whole future of the Empire depended on the present steps, and a false move might shatter it. Britain ought not to adopt a superior tone towards the colonies with whom the question was more acute than here.

"We are bound to admit," said Major Seely, "that thp self-jovern-ing colonies could exclude whom they would, and we could not interfere; but certain principles might be laid down. If immigrants are admitted they must sooner or later be given civil rights. Tney must be admitted free or not at nil. If a self-governing colony sought to exclud3 British subjects owing to economic reasons to prevent wages being cut down or because of climatic conditions or social antipathy, causing riots, (hey ought at any rate to treat with the utmost generosity the coloured immigrants already there. The Imperial Government had asked that for them and the request had been met by Canada in the friendliest spirit He wa's confident that the Governments of Australasia and South Africa would show the same spirit, realising the riecpssity for mutual forbearance" Major Seely, continuing, said he agreed that the Imperial Secretariat should take the matter up. He believed that it was necessary to make the Secretariat real, namely, the clearing house of the Empire where all the different laws might ba examined and reported on, enabling every part of the Empire to know what was being done in other parts. Sir Gilbert Parker said that it essential that the structure of national life should be built from the be ginning by whites otherwise itwould be rotteii. Major Seely's words would be re-echoed in<every corner of the Empire. He commended the Government for taking the right view t in appealing to the colonies and conferring with them.