Achievements—and February 23
pp. 7-8 · Read in the full issue
Colombo , British Socialist Achievements—and February 23
ACTING with the precipitancy of political lunatics, the British Socialist Government, after taking office in July, 1945, gave independence to the politically untrained States of Burma, India, Pakistan and Ceylon, and supported the United Nations visionaries in dislodging the Dutch and creating the “United States of Indonesia.” Thus they destroyed a large section of the British and Dutch Empires, which had been responsible for maintaining peace and reason able orderliness in Asia for over 100 years.
The Colombo Conference was ar ranged by the Bloomsbury Planners to co-ordinate the policies of the English-speaking Dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) with those of their new Indian Dominions. But, meanwhile, as the British moved out of Asia, the Red Muscovites had moved in. The Com munists now have complete control of all Mongolian Asia, except Japan, and they are preparing an assault upon all the Indian States of Southern Asia, and the Mohamme dan-Arabic States of Southwest Asia.
So there was a note of urgency be hind the final arrangements for the Colombo Conference.
THE British went to Colombo ex pecting (a) the cordial co operation of fellow-Socialists from Australia and New Zealand and (b) the active goodwill of the grateful
“newly liberated” Indian States, in dealing primarily with the alarming problems of Asia.
But, before the delegates could as semble in Colombo, Australia and New Zealand had thrown their Socialists out of office. The Aus tralians and New Zealanders, like the Canadians and South Africans, re presented, at Colombo, Governments and peoples who, while deeply friendly towards their kinsfolk of the British Isles, are very critical of the Attlee-Bevin Socialist Administration.
Mr. Bevin, at Colombo, was the only Socialist Minister in sight.
And the Indians were neither clamorously grateful nor markedly co-operative. The Indian States probably will stay within the British Commonwealth so long as their ex istence is threatened by Russian Communism; but, inevitably, sooner or later, they will break away. The differences between the British and Indian countries are fundamental — racial, cultural, social, economic. The things which divide them are greater than those which unite them.
It is a pity. Ethnologically, the Aryan-Indians are closer to the Europeans than any other race. It should be easy for the Indian States, through a union with Western Euro peans, to vastly improve their stand ards of life. But the change will re quire a century or two of sympathetic co-operation; and, unfortunately, if
it is to come in time to present an effective barrier to Communism, it must be achieved within a couple of decades.
ALMOST before the Colombo dele gates had assembled, it was an nounced that the British Socialist Government, unable to find a resting place for its homing chickens—those most loudly squawking being inter national and economic in plumage— had decided upon a general election on February 23 (four months before it was necessary). As there are funda mental differences between Socialist and non-Socialist policies, especially those affecting Imperial and inter national affairs, it was not easy to carry on conversations such as those planned at Colombo.
So the Colombo Conference has been a “flop,” so far as the creation of any Asiatic barrier to Muscovite Communism is concerned. It prob ably would have been a “flop,” any way, because of the difficulty of finding any real basis pf immediate practical co-operation between the British Dominions and the Indian States. It was described, in the ab sence of the United States, as an at tempt to produce “Hamlet” without the Ghost. It probably has been worth while, however, as giving an opportunity for a most useful ex change of views and the creation of machinery for economic co-operation.
But is has done nothing to allay the justifiable fears of all communi ties in the South Pacific concerning what is happening in Asia. These new Indian States, unsupported, will not stand for any time at all against the Red flood. Support for
them can come only from close co operation between the Western De mocracies—especially Britain, the British Dominions and France—and the United States. And there is only one language which forces directing the Communist onslaught can under stand —that is the language spoken by guns and bombs. The crooning of the Bloomsbury Socialists will achieve no more in the future than it achieved between 1945 and 1950, in which period its feeble policies have let the Muscovite loose upon the northern world.
The complete wipe-out of the British Socialists on February 23 will open a new era in British history— a dangerous era, maybe, but also an opportunity for the re-establishment of British strength and British pres tige. Our losses, both material and moral, since 1945, have been appal ling. But, with British Common wealth co-operation, American sym pathy and help, and that courage and staunchness shown in 1940-45 under Churchill’s leadership, we can get ourselves out of the morass, and help greatly in restoring sanity io the world.
February 23 will be far more than a vote for a new British Government.
It quite easily may be a turning point in imperial and international affairs.