Letters to the Editor
THE PROBLEMS OF EAST AFRICA [To" the Editor ..of the SPECTATOR.]
Sia,—There are two, angers in considering the Report of the Hilton Young Commission. Firstly, that one should fail to see the forest for the trees which, in 350 pages pregnant with ideas and recommendations, are so numerous ; and secondly, that the sections concerning Kenya should overshadow the references to the other territories, since as you rightly observe in your leading article of January 26th there is always an " extraordinary amount of criticism focussed on Kenya."
(1) After stating that the present forms of government are far' from ideal, and demolishing all suggested alternatives, the Commission advocates a Central Government (unified rather than federal) to ..create and ensure unity and continuity of policy for all the dependencies especially as regards external affairs, native affairs, and those involving the relations between different races, and also to co-ordinate policy as regards railways, customs, and other services. This Central Govern-- ment is to be, after a preliminary period, under a Governor- General, acting as the local representative of the Colonial Secretary but with far more liaison with local communities. This will tend to divorce Eastern Africa more from the control of the Imperial Parliament, which is but right since " the remoteness of the controlling authority is a great source of weakness . . . and has the effect of making colonial opinion more suspicious and distrustful," and because Parliament (none can deny) is, equally with the electorate, neither gene- rally interested in nor well informed about the country. Side by side with the Central Authority will be provincial govern- ments, ever getting more and more local power. " Local self- government should be encouraged in order to allow the largest room and freest play for the expression of indi- viduality." Also these local communities will be represented on advisory committees of the central government and have " a closer association with the trusteeship of government." The Commission refuses to be bound by precedent and outlines a scheme which, while clear enough as to its goal, appears to be sufficiently elastic, although remaining workable and not top-heavy.
Another prominent feature is the recommendation as regards finance and development. The Central Authority should feel that there is money available for schemes which will stand the closest scrutiny, and should therefore be encouraged to think and to plan far ahead and so be able to balance the Treasury's critical functions by presenting pro- perly prepared constructive schemes. Hitherto there has been no department " charged with that other form of economy which consists of wise expenditure on productive under- takings . . . and which can take into account their future and indirect potentialities and not merely immediate and direct returns." " A vision of the full opportunity is needed and the policy must be worthy of it." It is indeed refreshing to find these things stated unflinchingly..
(2) Let us now pass by Kenya and consider those less well advertised dependencies of Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia, in dealing with which the Report falls from grace. The Chairman advocates one policy for these territories, the re- maining Commissioners another, and of the two the former is far more open to criticism. The Commissioners have unani- mously reported that " the problems which must be con- sidered in all the five mainland territories are essentially similar," and they agree that " the chief need to-day is that there should be applied throughout the territories as a whole, continuously and without vacillation, a native policy which is consistent in its main principles." This is as urgent as it is indisputably right, for this group lies between the Colour bar of the South and the Black State ideal of the Belgian Congo.
Yet the Chairman advocates putting Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia under a different High Commissioner from the one directing the three other dependencies, which must necessarily defeat these supremely important objects. Also he over-emphasizes the difficulty of finding the right man for the post of High Commissioner. Again, while willing to admit the Kenya settlers to " partnerihip, but not to control " he 'suggests putting a large part of Northern Rhodesia, natives
and all, under the control of the Southern Rhodesian settlers, who already have a very big responsibility for such a small community. These recommendations seem to, be extraor- dinarily illogical when viewed with the main body of the Report. Further, his proposed dismemberment of Northern Rhodesia (part as a native state, and the rest divided between Southern Rhodesia, Nyasaland, and Tanganyika Territory) would be opposed by every Northern Rhodesian, no matter what his views on other subjects.
The other Commissioners are more practical : they agree with the Chairman that union with the three Northern terri- tories is not feasible, yet on account of great distances and poor communications and because at present Northern Rhodesia undoubtedly opposes the idea, so they suggest maintaining the status quo, but recommend that the High Commissioner for East Africa should act in an advisory capa- city for the two Southern protectorates. This would ensure some unanimity and continuity. Probably this would serve for the present, but it is not explained why the " preliminary " High Commissioner should not report and advise on this as on other points.
While many in Northern Rhodesia would prefer amalgama- tion with Southern Rhodesia to union with the East, most consider that it is preferable to continue as they are for the present, because the country is progressing more rapidly than Southern Rhodesia or the Eastern territories, and it therefore seems premature to accept proposals for union based on her present population and wealth.
But let it not be thought that the criticism of this par- ticular section detracts unduly from the praise which is due to the Commission for the Report as a whole. It is a valuable document which will make history, and on the broad issues it should be greeted with a sigh of relief by all interested in East Central Africa.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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