Federation
It is generally agreed that federation of the Rhodesias and Nyasaland should bring many material benefits in time to the inhabitants, black and white, of the three territories. But so long as the Africans, the vast majority of those inhabitants, are under the impression, almost certainly mistaken, that federation is not in their best interests, and while they are determined in growing numbers on a course of passive resist- ance—then federation will be made to work only with a great deal of trouble and loss of good will. It is argued that most of the Africans are illiterate, that they are quite unable to understand the real implications of federation. But whether they understand them or not, and whether their fears are justi- fied to any extent, if at all, the political reality is that they are opposed to federation, and that federation is being forced upon them against their will. The dangers in the situation are self-evident, and the case for postponing the operation of federation for a year, in the hope that it could be explained more fully, widely, and effectively, was not negligible. But the Government has felt itself unable to accept this argument, believing that greater dangers lie in delay than in going ahead. One thing is certain : that no effort must be spared to convince the Africans that Britain is not going to deprive them of her protection. For it is this fear which is at the bottom of their opposition to federation. On Tuesday, when the House of Commons went into committee on the Bill, Mr. Lyttelton gave an assurance that the Government " would continue by every means in their power, when the Bill becomes law, to educate public opinion in Africa about the advantages of federation." That is something. But the Colonial Secretary is not the best of advocates. One minute he says : " The ordinary African tilling his field or harvesting his crop would be unaware that federation had taken place." The next minute, referring to the passive resistance campaign, he says: " If one -wants to keep a country backward, politically, the surest way to do it is to boycott the democratic organisation set up." He would do better to keep democracy out of it.
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