SIR,—Whilst congratulating The Spectator upon its decision to publish a
series of articles on Colonial affairs and upon its leading article, The Unknown Colonies, may I point out that one reference in the latter almost suggests that the Colonies are not too well known to your leader writer ? The article speaks of " the vast Colonial Empire with its 450 million inhabitants." The population of the Colonial Empire varies with
what the term includes, and is in any case only an estimate, but sub- tracting the new Dominion of Ceylon, it certainly cannot exceed 60 millions. Is the writer thinking of India or Burma, which of course were never part of the Colonial Empire ? The article also refers to two Dominions in Africa, but Southern Rhodesia, though approximating in some respects to Dominion status, is a self-governing colony.
In the excellent article with which Col. Oliver Stanley inaugurates the series, I think he has made a slip in referring to " the difficult problem presented by the Malayans (sic) and Indians in Malaya." Should it not be the Chinese and Indians ? The Malays can scarcely be said to be a problem in their own country. The question as to the future of Pitcairn posed by Mr. Marc Greene may be compared- with the parallel case of Tristan da Cunha, whose inhabitants have twice refused to leave an even more inhospitable and isolated territory.—Yours faithfully, 9 Kew Gardens Road, Kew, Surrey. W. E. Smoirrr.
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