THE ASIATIC QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 191, 3 August 1908, Page 3

THE ASIATIC QUESTION.

IN THE COL/OXIES. BRITAIN'S AI'PKAL Received 2, 4.15 p.m. J-ondon, August 1. In the House of Commons Colonel Seely, Under-Secretary for the Colonies, speaking oh the motion for adjonrnmeub to the 12th October, admitted that the Asiatic question in the colonies was overwhelmingly important. The whole future of the Empire depended on the present steps. A false move might shatter it. Britain ought not to adopt n superior tone towards the colonies, with whom the question was more acute than here. We were bound to admit i!ie self-governing colonies could exclude whom they would, and we could not interfere, but certain principles might be laid down. If immigrants were admitted, they must sooner or later be given civil rights. They must be idluitted free or not at all. If the selfgoverning colonies sought to cxeliVje British subjects owing to economic reasons, to prevent wages being cut down or because of climatic conditions or social antipathy causing riots, they ought, at any rate, to treat with tjc utmost generosity colored immigrants already there. The Imperial Government asked tlurtl'for them, and the request had been met by Canada in the friendliest spirit. He was confident the j tioverniuejits of Australasia aud South | Africa would show the same spirit, real- ( ising the necessity for mutual forbearance.

A MATTER FoK THE IMPERIAL SECRETARIAT. CONFERRING WITH THE COLONIES. Received 1, 4.15 p.m. London, August 1. Continuing, Colonel Seely said lie agreed that the Imperial Secretariat should take the matter up. He believed it was necessary to make tlie Secretariat real, namely, the Clearing House •( the Empire, where all tlie different laws mighlt bo examined and reported on, and enabling every part of the Empire to know what was being done in other parts. Sir Gilbert Parker said the essential structure of the national life should be built from the beginning by white-!, otherwise it would be rotten. Colonel Seely's woTds would be re-echoed .from every corner of the Empire. He commended the Government for taking the tight view, in appealing to the colonies and conferring with them.