COLONIAL AND IMPERIAL HISTORY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3046, 5 April 1917, Page 5

COLONIAL AND IMPERIAL HISTORY

Tho Historical Association. of, Scot? •''■: land, the membership of which includes" the Historiographer-Royal of Scotland end the Professors of Hietory in. the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and St. Andrews, unani- ; .';.; mously adopted a resolution at theicv. reoent annual meeting in which, the . , opinion was expressed that "at the earliest practicable moment provision should be made in. all the Scottish TJai— - versities for the study and teaching of colonial and Imperial history." Acting upon that resolution, Profes-' 1 sor D. J. Medley, Professor of History in the University of Glasgow, who ie President of the Historical Association, has addressed a letter to the official representatives of the Oversea Domin* ions in. LondoUj in the course of which , • he writest— . . ."-." ■ .■•.-'. "For all who,claim British citizenshio no question' arising for settlement; I at tho close of hostilities is of more* , importance than tho future of our Empire. That some modification of exist- . ing relations in the direction of closet , partnership and more extended respofl* sibility for joint action should be made , is demanded by the Overseas Doming . ions and.has been, admitted by reEpon-" ' . sibk' statesmen of all parties. An Im-> perial Conference to consider this prob- , lem of Imperial reconstruction has been promised. But.it is extremely im- ./ ; probable that any final soheme of re' construction will be formulated without prolonged consideration and po«- . sible tentative experiments. ■ And for .• tho framing and smooth working of siioh a scheme a far sounder and wider i knowledge of the nature of. the prob' , lem is necessary than is now possessed. • even by educated men and women. Of - the various methods which, might bo > suegested for propagating such know-i • ledge, none seems so likely.to be efficient and free from suspicion of nlteav > ior motives as tho establishment itf our Universities of departments speci--1 ally dealing with the .history and posi-> : tion of the members of the Empire out--1 side the British Isles. _ ';— x 1 "The .term ■ has "often > been abused; but, however, we may define it, recent eyents have proved trf 1 us that the feeling itself needs both' ■ to bo cherished and to be wideped. A . sane, presentation of the historical de- [ velopment of the British. Empire is ■ likely to help in both these respects, and to cultivate and keep alive our I interest in the lands of our kindred 1 beyond the sea. '.•'".• ' "Scotland has played so promforarti k ) part in the building of the Empire that • it is peculiarly fitting she should tsfo a leading share in helping to weld W I together. ... '■'." ;.' > "May wo venture fo hope that you ■ are personally in sympathy with us ia' ; this important matter,,and that yott ). will be willing to further its realisation > as far as lies in your power?"-