GERMANY AND COLONIES

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17015, 31 January 1927, Page 6

GERMANY AND COLONIES

Whatever opinions we may hold regarding the viability or utility of the League of Nations and of the system of mandates over former enemy territories, under which Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, France, and Belgium administer large areas under the supervision of the League, it can hardly he denied that this arrangement, particularly since the admisison of Germany to the League, with a permanent seat on the Council, has within it endless possibilities of future unrest. The next decade or two will form a specially critical period, for it must clearly depend very largely upon the extent and nature of the development that takes place in these ex-enemy territories during the next quarter of a century whether or not the quietus is given to the agitation for their return to their former owners. That the German colonial agitation has wide ramifloations has long been known to the few people who take any interest in these matters. At the Imperial Conference Mr Bruce, during the discussion on mandates, spoke very plainly on the subject. He said that it must be borne in mind that there is a great deal of propaganda done in regard to these mandated territories, and very considerable efforts were being made to try to show that the Mandatory Power was not carrying out its obligations in a proper spirit. One valuable safeguard against the opening of discussions' in regard to the restoration of Germau colonies is contained in the ambitions of Italy, It is certain that, should this question be formally raised, Italy would insist on her own claims to colonial outlets being considered at the same time; and even the most ardent of our Germanophiles can hardly shut theneyes to the dangers of the situation that might then be produced. On the other hand, there is always the possibility that, in the interests of European peace, a weak pacifist administration in Britain might be disposed to use the ex-German colonics in our possession as bargaining counters and surrender one or more of them in return for some fancied but probably wholly shadowy advantage. It is this last possibility which is regarded with most apprehension by British East Africans, and they feel that the only certain way of ensuring against it is to weld Tanganyika so firmly into a single economio unity with our other East African colonies and protectorates as to preclude any serious consideration of the territory as a detachable portion 01 British East Africa.