The Daily News. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18. BRITAIN AND HER COLONIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 50, 18 February 1908, Page 2

The Daily News. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18. BRITAIN AND HER COLONIES.

Ihe ni"tlu-rl.tlid having granted to ccr-I ' tain colonic* the five aud unrestricted control of their own all'air-. the Loudon Times has been good enough to point out th;it nevertheless she i,- still able to exercise a controlling power over them she can withdraw from the self-govern-ing colonies the protection of Jier Hct. The reason calling for the enunciation oi this possible line of policy was the attitude which lias been assumed by the colonies ou the color question. To reduce the matter to concise form, the London Time- allirnis that if, by the | passing of restrictive legislation, the self-governing colonies continue to op pose themselves to the policy of the motherland in reference to the admission to their shorer, of colored races, the motherland may lie prompted to practically "cut the painter" and leave the colonies to the mercy—or want of mercy —of any possible invader. This is the plain meaning attachable to tile threat of the po-sible wiihdtfivval of the protection of the licet. In Australia some newspapers, in a perfect fever of panic, have noticed this declaration, but in this Dominion it does not seem to have excited the least attention. Nevertheless, the issues involved are all of eardinil imjHirtance, and the whole position calls for the closest scrutiny.

At pre-ent Japan is the ally of England, mil must continue the ally of England For some three or four years. Whilst the alliance continues, no .Japanese licet ran as-ail the shores of any British colony, nor can the Japanese '-ovci'iincnt' lend its sanction to the peaceful invasion In millions ot its subjects ol any British lands in opposition to the laws obtaining in those lands. The. converse of this also applies. Were Japan threatened with the peaceful invasion of millions of British subjects, and, in consequence, passed such restrictive laws as have Weil adopted ill the colonies, the British licet could not be employed to force a change of attitude. 11l the event of very rich goldtields being discovered in Japan, there can scarcely be a doubt that thousands of British subjects—and from Australasia, too—would seek to "rush" to the new El Dorado. The right of the Japanese to deny ad- I niitlance must oc recognised. When the treaty comes to an end. obligations cease. Japan is ill precisely the same position which China occupies to-day -o far as the British colonies are concerned. What then will be the position? Millions of Chinese and millions of Japanese. uuder cover of ships of war, come swarming down to invade Australasia. Then, at this supreme moment —it is asked to Ik- believed—Great England may withdraw the protection of her fleet and allow her vainly protesting colonial children to be overwhelmed by the seething yellow crowd. Surely nothing more truculent, audacious, or stupid than this suggestion lias Iktii written since the century began!

At present New Zealand' contributes C-iO.onil annually towards the support ot tin' British tieet. Next session the mini will probably t>e increased to ciiii.ittio. The Commonwealth i-onl nbntes in proportion. As compared willi the t"tal »f the navy estimates the Ansti;i!;i~i:!ii subsidies may appear l'idinlonsly siniill. but if India and all the •!U-er colonies contributed the total .'f 'ie subsidies might prove sullicient to old a battleship yearly to the nary, rin- importanl point, however, is tin'. ' irge or »uiait, projiortionate or disproportionate. ilie fait that the colonies I i contribute (jives to them u property in lh.' navy, and to suggest or indicate : ii it IUU propi'i'ty will not be available 1'.,:- iheir defence. will not be ready to -uppoil thcio in the maintenance of tlcir laws, is in the highest degree abnl. Were such a thought for a moment tolerable, then might vigorous exclamations lie indulged against modern ideas of liritish justice.

In this connection it may be well m remember that though the colonial trade with the motherland may be fairly equal ---that is to say, that we buy from I'.uglaud pretty nearly as much as we sell yet the property used in conveyance is i ntirely liritish. Every ship employed in the British-colonial trade is British ouilt and British-owned, and very liirgci\ it i- !or the protection of liriti-ii proper! \ upon the high seas that 111I'm is], diet exists. Colonies or no col >- ill 's. she must protect that propert.'. i-liiglMi -lute-iiH'ii ami the entire British people may atlVct to sneer at Or disparage the oll'orts the colonies have ni;!<!t- to a--i-t liriti-h trade throo.eh lii" 11;'iuin of lower Customs duties.

pr.-ciit preference is merely on it; hi.il; it- lull elfect may lie more strikingly lii'miiiistratc.l in future years v.lien population and trade have vastly

iin:c.i-eil: at all events, it stands a colonial monument of patriotic attachment and goodwill to the motherland. .iii.l a> such it ought to Ik- regarded .1. of value.

I ItJ'ii. Li'tori 1 iinijland coul'.l ij r li l aji iji abaltd l w. l l!j i!. • < <i|oiii;«-. !!ie r-. jl hi'.V is thai »'' • 'icf liii'v misfit 1)0 a Ido lu ;11 ■;1 \ ery well wiiliout h«T. Uw\ -he c.ml'l w>\\ \«>ry wo 11 gut ;ilt>n*r without ihrm. '\'\w 'Monies arc M'li-iontaineil Ilu-y mil iVr i themselves ;tnd livi'— and in thU ■{ the situation in K-ngland yeur l»y \c.ir is getting wor»o. WVre tho |nodii< u. ns of Australasia eul oil' from lier to-day, she would iVol tho lo»: in a IVw years liioro tlicy will liavo Income absolutely essential to In-!- f\isi«>nro. In tlio history of t !u i world tlx-rc was a tim<» when Kngland wilhdrtnv her protection from the i-olouk's in America: slu' not only withdrew her protection, hut fought her children; yel America lived. Whatever the policy of England, whatever the cons'?: (pieik-efc looming in the future may prove, ilie colonies in the-e >eas. vvvry one of them, iiave resolvd In keep while. Tlte.v will, a- far as humanly possible, preserve the blood of their children from any contamination, ! whether it he "hrown or yellow or black. I

ON THK FontTH i'Ai.i 1Provincial News. Hospital Board. < omnwrcial. Troublesome Old Man.