Need For Colonial
pp. 42-43 · Read in the full issue
Reform
Plan For French Post-war Federation
THE French Provisional National Com mittee, at Algiers, in January last, debated plans for the post-war reconstruction of the French Colonies.
One plan would provide for the creation of a Federation of French Colonies, with an elected Assembly—such Federation to work in close co-operation with a recon stituted France, through a representative organisation which would be at once inter-colonial and imperial.
Most speakers urged that extended privileges should be given to the French Colonies, in recognition of the fact that they had rallied to the cause of freedom in the blackest hours in the history of the French Empire, and helped create a new and honourable class within the French Empire—the men of Free Prance Discussions showed arguments both for and against the idea of a French Colonial Federation; and it was apparent that such plans could not be carried very far until France is clear of the invader and capable of entering into the discus sion. It was evident that speakers expected New Caledonia and French Oceania to take a place in the reorganised colonial empire of France; and that Frenchmen expect to regain Indo-China.
The following comments have been
made by a friend of France, who has followed both political and colonial developments for nearly half a century.
If one who is a sympathetic observer may be permitted to express an opinion, the only possible procedure for colonial administration would be to establish a college of specialists, who would be required: • To learn the native languages of the several Colonies to which they are destined to be sent; • To study the economic, sanitary and cultural aspects of each particular region; • To then be assigned to their posts for a long term of years, their tenure of appointment to be absolutely divorced from the vagaries of politics or of politicians.
Federations of wholly dissimilar peoples are destined to end in chaos and failure.
One of the most pernicious obstacles to successful colonial administration is the local politician, and his coadjutors, whose chief objective is, apparently, to trans form the orderly procedure of adminis tration into a pathway of thorns.
So far as I have observed, political agitation has led only to confusion and retrogression. Why an experi ment. on the principle of trial and error —undertake for the Colonies a system of unpolitical administrative organisation, composed of specialists?
Naturally, neither this nor any other form of administration would please everybody; but it would have the virtue of opening the real interests of the native peoples to inspection and study by the highest authorities in the Government. rE average colonial administrator of pre-war days was amply satisfied if he balanced his budget, was received with honour at a few native “kava” ceremonies, kept small-pox out of his Colony, and had received the congratu lations of the eminent Mr. John Crimson beak, managing director of the great trading institution of Crimsonbeak and Gueule, Ltd.
But what did the Administrator know about the accuracy of the scales in C. & G.’s outer-island copra sheds, or the clever little ways of getting around the legally established rates of interest, or the delightful little pourboirs added to the prices of foodstuffs and raiment delivered at distant islands? Who was there to inform him of the skulduggery in native land deals the furtive Mr.
Teredo was carrying on behind the screen of equally furtive Euronesians whom Mr.
Teredo holds in the hollow of his hand?
If the Administrator suspected and began to look into such matters, Messrs.
Crimsonbeak and Teredo had powerful friends at Court, and the Administrator was suddenly shifted to another Colony, “for the good of the service.”
This is an absolutely accurate picture, and all the federations, dominion
schemes, local self-governments and re presentative machinery under the moon will not change it.
WHAT is needed is an administrative service which is a “Service,” staffed by trained men. Both Service and trained men (absolutely out of the reach of politics and “influence”) should be built up under a spirit of work well done for the honour of the Service and of the country to which that Service belongs.
That, in my judgment, is the only way to get rid of the “dead hands” of all the central capitals of Colony-holding Governments. If the war is not being fought to make such a thing possible, then our soldiers are dying in vain.