THE INDIANS IN KENYA.
[To THE EDITOR Or THE " SPECTATOR.")
Sre,—Yort may add another blunder to the list of those com- mitted by the Colonial Office, on which you recently commented. A few weeks ago the colonists of Kenya were surprised by the news from London that the Colonial Secretary contem- plated a complete reversal of the Milner policy, and that the highlands of East Africa were to be thrown open to Indian settlement and Indians admitted to the franchise on the same voters' roll as the Europeans, whom they outnumber. This means speedy domination of Indian ideals here, and the extinction of European settlement.
I have no wish to argue the rights or wrongs of this ques- tion, but desire to draw attention to 'the immediate results. On receipt of the news the settlers assembled in every 'district, and agreed, without a dissentient voice, to resist the proposals to the uttermost, defence funds were subscribed, a petition to the King drawn up, a deputation sent to South Africa to entreat the support of the Union, and permanent committees appointed to take such steps as the situation may require.
As the Legislative Council contains an official majority, the elected members, who are, to a man, on the side of the settlers, cannot prevent the Colonial Secretary from forcing his pplicy through and placing it on the Statute Book. After this the diffi- culties begin. The force at the disposal of the law hero consists of a small body of negro police and a battalion or so of native troops, with European officers. These have so far easily maintained order, as the dangerous classes have known that every European in the colony is in reserve behind the active forces. It may be otherwise when the people to be coerced into submission to a detested law are not African -savages, but Europeans, mainly ex-soldiers, from the nature of 'the country armed, and, from recent experience, accustomed to violence. Nothing but the sternest repression will make them submit to the position of inferiority to the Indians which these proposals will entail, and it is folly to trust to native troops to maintain order among such a population. To convert a European colony into an Indian native state might be a "promising gamble" with British regiments as counters, but . with only a few black troops on the spot it is long odds on
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