Building New Nations

New Zealand Listener, Volume 36, Issue 922, 12 April 1957, Page 31

Building New Nations

ONE of the great political movements of modern times is the deliberate abdication of power by Britain in her politically progressive colonies, and their entry as independent self-governing States into the Commonwealth. In the last twelve years, in this fashion, India, Pakistan, Ceylon and Ghana _ have reached nationhood; now Nigeria verges on independence, and all over the world in the remaining colonies and dependent territories, colonialism in its new and creative guise is working to the same end. In a series of talks, Creative Colonialism, recorded after the A.N.Z.A.A.S. Conference in Dunedin in January, three experts in colonial affairs give the results of their recent researches in this subject, as applied t» the area of the South Pacific. The first talk in the series, The Historical Background, to be heard on Tuesday, April 16, from 4YC and 4YZ, at 7.38 p.m., is given by Professor W. P. Morrell of Otago University. In this talk Professor Morrell studies the way in which British policy in the Pacific last century was not simply concerned with the creation of a commercial empire or with conquest by force, but was often pre-occupied with the true interest of the islanders-a policy that has helped to lay the foundations for the peaceful political developments which are now taking place in Fiji and Samoa. The second talk is by J. W. Davidson, Professor of Pacific History at the Australian National University. He reviews the special qualities needed by a British Governor in a dependent territory, qualities differing from those required of political leaders in‘ sovereign states. Two distinguished colonial Governors of the last century, Sir George Grey and Sir Arthur Gordon, are taken as examples. In the final talk of the group, Mary Boyd, lecturer in History at Victoria University College, details what has been called a classic example of the pro- -

gress of a dependent territory by peaceful means towards self-government and independence-Samoa and its relationship to New Zealand; and the influence of the United Nations Trusteeship Council on both these countries.