THE COLOUR BAR.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1159, 21 June 1911, Page 7

THE COLOUR BAR.

INDIA AND THE EMPIRE. NEW ZEALAND MOTION ADOPTED BY CONFERENCE. POSITION OF LASCAR SAILORS, By TelceraDh-Press Association-CouvrlEhl (R«c. Juno 20, 10.45 p.m.) London, Juno, 20. Tho feature of yesterday's sitting of the Imperial Conference was the debate on the position of the Dominions with regard to the admission of coloured British subjects, and their exclusion from . the maritime- trado between two Dominions. Mr. Harcourt, Secretary of State for the Colonies, presided, and Lord Crewe, Secretary -of State for India, was also, present. : . . Sir Joseph Ward moved— "That tho self-governing Oversea Dominions have now reached a stage of development when'they should be entrusted with wider legislative powers in respect of British and foreign shipping." A Critical Question. Lord Crewe, Secretary of State for India, said that before tho resolution was discussed he wished to refer to tho question as it affected India. He had come to the conclusion that the Conference could not discuss any question more difficult and critical than tho treatment of native races within the-Dominions. He had previously expressed the opinion that the differences between whites and natives seemed to threaten not only tho well-being but the actual existence of the Empire. In one sense the question was insoluble, and the Government recognised ! the absolute impossibility of free interchango between' all' the subjects of tho . Crown. Nobody would dispute tho Dominions' right as to whom they wero to admit to citizenship. He also recognised that it was easy for Britain 'to underrate tho difficulties confronting tho Dominions, because the British peoplo at '< Home were untroubled by any similar problem. The Dominions had two separtl ate, but closely intenvr.ven, objections to i- a large influx of native population. The :- first was that the influx might mean a '- rivalry of cheap labour, and the second i, the colour bar. Tho Indians by pride of h descent and their personal qualities, on the other hand, claimed consideration. d A Mutual Understanding. S ■> Lord Crewe, continuing, submitted that while the problem was not to be solved s by heroic legislation, tho relations of tho l " different races might be materially im- " proved by the cultivation of a mutual l " understanding. The' India Office and r the Government of. India would always I do their utmost to explain to the Indians their position in the .Dominions. They I I were entitled, on the other hand, to ask ; tho Dominions to make it known in their '" own areas that there was a widespread , feeling in India about tho treatment of their people. This was a fact which f those Indians objecting to British rule in '■ India not seldom used to damage tho 0 Government. He suggested the possibilIS ity of tho Dominions acting within restrictions imposed so as to make tho ad--1 mission of Indians easier and plensanter than -n'as now the .case. This, would,.;do, f much to improve tlie relations with India. '' Otherwise wo wero far from being a " united Empire. If tho Dominions displayed a friendly spirit, the best public opinion, in India would recognise it, and h do its best' peacefully to solve the diffi- . culties arising. 1 New Zealand's Position. i_ ' Sir Joseph Ward, in moving his resolution, said that New Zealand entertained a feeling of loyal friendliness towards India. The resolution was directed against a low-paid coloured race competing with British-manned ships in New Zealand. Lord Crewe. had admitted tho undeniablo right of the Dominions with regard to citizenship, but if the present conditions were continued there were two r alternatives. New. Zealand shipping e must transfer its registrations and place d them where shipowners were not subject r- to law, and could employ Lascars at d low wages; or else they'must repeal tho )- whole of the laws passed in the interests ,e of tho white crews. Either proposition i- was unthinkable. Personally he believed that New Zoalanders felt they ought to ), urge upon all nations the policy of every io colour going back to its own zone. r . Sir J. G. Findlay said the question was d not all racial, : but partly economic. .e ,f v Canadian Support. :. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Prime Minister of n Canada, supported tho motion, but deif clared that he was not anxious to ime pair the spirit of loyalty in the native n populations so as to make it-difficult for s- Britain to maintain good relations. Never-, e theless the fact remained that the moil ment Asiatic labour competed with whites '- it disturbed the existing conditions seri- ■ - ously and jeopardised the Empire. This •o was not due to colour prejudice, but arose from the fact that Asiatics had a e different civilisation and a different stan- -' dard of living. *- Mr. Batchelor, Australian Minister for h External Affairs, declared that the Aus- '" tralian view was similar to New. Zealand's. There had been much agitation !' in the past through the misunderstanding '' of the Dominions' position. He was '* anxious to remove an anomalous restriction, but they must consider local necessi■s ties. , '* Senator Pearce, Australian Minister for r Defencei said that all their shipping law aimed at was to prevent foreigners having an advantage over their own shipping in their own waters. Mr. Malan, South African Minister for is Education, stated that the labour aspect 18 troubled Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, but self-preservation, not the labour ii. question, was tho problem fronting South io Africa. There an overwhelming African lf population made it impossible to allow Jj the introduction of another coloured race. Tho problem, so far as the employment of Lascars was concerned, was chiefly a labour difficulty, but from tho Indian stanclpoint the difficulty was not diminished r ' when Sir Joseph Ward said tho difficulty j™ was not racial but economic. Tho Inj. t diaiis have on undoubted right to deal , n with their own economic conditions, and 5e they could not legitimately complain at s- New Zealand for doing the same, id Lord Crewe in Reply. Lord Crewe, in referring to tho suggesor tion that coloured races should remain in ft their .own area, stated that as Coloin nial Secretary he instructed a committco y> to ascertain the conditions under which a s immigration might Iμ encouraged from fl India to the Crown Colonies, and lie io hoped that good results might accrue. This was a move in the suggested direction, but tho probability of tho different races being finally confined to their own r 7 areas was a larger question, jj Mr. Fisher, Prime Minister of Austra)a lin, said he regarded the motion as an ;e admission that tho Dominions had not ct possessed tho fullest powers. H« now disf agreed with that view, [g The motion was adapted, the Australian delegates abstaining from yotinSj

SUEZ CANAL DUES. ' REDUCTION URGtiD. Mi: Fislier then moved: "That the present Suez Canal dues constitute a heavy charge tending to retard trade within the Empire and with other countries, and that the Conference invites the Home Government to continue its efforts to obtain a substantial reduction." The motion was carried.