More Books of the Week
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Sir Hesketh Bell, who has served as Governor in :four of our colonies, has written -an able and instructive book on FOreign Colonial Adininistration in the Far Bast, namely; the Dutch East Indies and French Indo-China (Arnold, 16s.). He speaks very highly of the Dutch administration, conducted by officials who have all undergone a long and rigorous training. But he is uncertain whether the recent extension of -native self-government in Java will yield the • desired results ; the Communists are active among the young educated Javanese,-and the rapid increase of the Chinese population, who tend to control trade, seems to the author ominous of future trouble. Sir Hesketh Bell is also most favourably impressed with Indo-China, where, he thinks, private enter- prise is given fuller scope than in our African dependencies. The French authorities restrict higher education and keep the Press under control, but try to work through trained natives as far as possible. Their colonies are now peaceful and very prosperous. The author's comparisons and contrasts with British methods are of great interest.
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