LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Federal or Confederal ?
SIR,—In the article Federal or Confederal? you stress the unity and strength of the British Commonwealth. I very willingly support you in this. I do not, however, support the conclusion that we can contract no loyalties which would conflict with that higher loyalty, if by that is meant that we cannot enter into a Europe-Commonwealth or Europe- Commonwealth-American federation. Have we not already contracted a loyalty to the United Nations, which begins to conflict with our loyalty to South Africa ? Do you suggest that we should support South Africa if it defies the United Nations ?
The Commonwealth, in fact, has as much to gain from federation with Europe as have the Europeans. Twice they have had to send their men to wars in Europe, wars which will be prevented by federation. In the face of rapid development in the Dominions, Britain alone is becoming inadequate as a market for their products or a source of capital and immigrants for them. Federation with Europe .would improve their position in these respects. And, as regards the ties of race, it is easy to forget that half the Canadians are French and half the South Africans Dutch.
The Commonwealth has survived and grown great ,because it is flexible; it has known how to let itself develop. If it now becpmes rig:d, and does not adapt itself to the union which is the crying need of the Western world, it will have lost its genius of response to the needs of the times. Surely its unity is strong enough to survive the stress of entry into a federation, if it is realised that federation is the only lasting solution of the problems of peace and economic develop- ment.—Yours faithfully, 13 Ellerdine Road, Hounslow, Middlesex.
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