Show MARQUIS CHILDS Breakup of o British Empire Example Examine of News Values V WASHINGTON ASHINGTON Man ran bites dog is still pretty much the prevailing rule role of ot thumb for determining news values A good fight is always page 1 but buta a a peaceful settlement is likely to be buried burled in the back of the paper It Is important to remember this in connection with what is happening to the British em em- pire The British labor government government government govern govern- ment has just reached an agreement agreement agreement agree agree- ment which will make Burma a afree afree afree free nation within a short time When that news was carried at all it w was s carried in small type on the inside pages But Buti i if it Britain had been preparing to send an expedition to hold Burma Burma Bur Bur- ma by force as France has been doing in French Indo-China Indo we would have had b banner head head- lines This playing-down playing of the news may help to explain why those of the Henry WaIl Wallace ace school go goon goon goon on talking about imperialism just as though nothing had happened happened hap hap- since the time of Rudyard Kipling and the white mans man's burden Actually we are arc witnessing witnessing witnessing wit wit- a revolution of the most reaching far-reaching consequences Revolution Began This revolution had its beginning beginning begin begIn- ning at least 50 years ago shortly after alter Britain reached the peak of her position as empire- empire builder and order The trend has been consistently theother theother the theother other way ever since Now weare we weare weare are witnessing the whirlwind finish of that revolution in all its awesome m meaning aning Great Britain Is moving out of ot India Burma Egypt the cornerstones of the empire of old But the critic who still thinks in terms of Kipling says Well why dont don't they get out right I away Why are they still sWI there There are several potent answers to that question I To begin with you cant can't simply pull out after years as you would give up a hotel I room There are vastly com com- questions to settle before before before be be- fore the final moving day Habit Very Strong Second habit is very strong particularly the habit of rule as it has been engrained in the British civil service in the em em- pire These civil servants do donot donot donot not like to surrender authority They may even resist the change altho although gh at the seat of government government govern govern- government ment in London it is recognized clearly as Inevitable In the left wing of the Labor party they favor pushing this process much faster and fora for for- a very practical reason Labor members of ot parliament such as R. R H H. S. S Crossman Grossman and Michael Foot say that Britain can no longer afford to police the empire empire empire em em- pire and incidentally the rest of the world London can no longer afford it either cither in money or in men At the end of 1946 1916 Great Britain had approximately 1 men in the armed forces and the auxiliary services including including including in in- in- in the royal navy The Foot Crossman-Foot wing of the Labor party believes that this figure musts must be reduced to not more than or The British are faced with a desperate shortage of men They are looking in every direction to try to make up a deficit of at least a half million workers Money loney Outlook Grim GrimOn GrimOn GrimOn On the money side the short short- term outlook Is almost as grim With a goal of raising exports 75 per cent above the prewar pre level at the beginning of 1947 19 the increase was only about 10 per cent And as British journalist journalist jour jour- naUst J. J L L. Garvin said in what must have been one of the last articles he wrote bet before re his death last week The e easy y sellers' sellers market is running out like the American loan It is time to stop talking about imperialism as though Din were still sUll carrying gin slings to the complacent British Raj While the shreds of that old oid order cling on the empire system is actually a part of history It is time to start thinking of what the nature of ot the world will be as the order-keeping order forces of Great Britain are with with- drawn Above all It is time to think of our responsibility in inthis inthis inthis this new world Small Example Here is a small example On Nov 1 we agreed to exchange ambassadors with India This w was an important and historic step marking one of the milestones milestones milestones mile mile- stones on Indias India's road to inde inde- The Indians faced with internal problems of overwhelming overwhelming overwhelming over over- whelming magnitude hope we will send as ambassador a manof man manof manof of stature who can be friend and counselor to them in their present ordeal Three months have havee gone by and no ambassador has been named So far as is known no names are under consideration consider consider- Minor yes But that kind of shirking will not help the world get through this difficult difficult difficult dif dif- transition period Copyright 1947 United Feature Syndicate |