24 JULY 1920, Page 3

In the House of Lords on the 13th July the

question of forced labour was discussed, the peg being a circular in regard to native labour, issued by the Government of East Africa. Lord Milner declaaed that the order had been misunderstood, and that it did not mean the introduction of forced labour. We are bound to say that, if that is so, a more infelicitously worded State Paper was never put forth. The memorial address by the Anti-Slavery Society to Lord Milner upon the proposed labour system for East Africa puts the objections to the Order with great force. The memorial states that the new system for East Africa will impose an administrative liability on the Government to provide native labour for private employers, and also set up _a system of administrative " advice " in favour of native labourers working for white settlers. This, it is asserted, will lead to an increase of enforced labour. Further, it is alleged by the Society that recruitment is contemplated from the neighbouring colonies occupied by us under mandates. If the facts are as stated in the memorial, we -agree that we are face to face with an attempt to introduce into our African colonies a system of forced labour which is nearly as bad or indeed sometimes even worse than actual slavery.