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Show j Will Not Return Colonies to the Huns, Says Balfour SYDNEY, Australia. Nov. 30 (Correspondence (Cor-respondence of The Associated Press) Pronouncement by Arthur J. Balfour. Bal-four. British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, that Germany's colonies colo-nies will not be returned to her after the war revives in Australia and New Zealand animated discussion of the future of all the islands in the Pacific Pa-cific south of the equator. Whatever conclusion is ..reached by the Allies at the peace conference as to the disposit'ion of German New Guinea and German Samoa, not to mention tho Marshall, Caroline and Ladrone groups, it Is generally admitted ad-mitted that an entire recasting of the various administrations of the British islands is needed to develop their great potential wealth, afford security for trade and ensure adequate defense. de-fense. It is believed that a federation of all tho British archipelago under a central authority having its seat of government at the most convenient centet,r will eventuate after the war. Thus, in effect a new state would be created which might be called the British Pacific Federation and might be administered by a Governor-General or High Commissioner. Such a Governor-General or High Commissioner Commis-sioner would not be concerned with the local governmental affairs of any particular group but with the fcdera-J tlon as a whole. He might be as sisted by a council composed of appointed ap-pointed officials, representatives elected elect-ed by each Island group, and trade commissioners representing Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, Local legislatures, would, under such a scheme as this have as large a measure of self-government as compatible with the proportion of whites to South Sea islanders and Asiatics, As-iatics, Incapable at present of self-government. self-government. It Is pointed out here, however, that if the British Islands are federated, fed-erated, means of communication between be-tween them must be provided in or-dor or-dor that their administration and general gen-eral welfare may obtain. Existing steamer services radiate from Sydney Zealand, but groups served by any one line have no connecting link with adjacent Islands served by other lines, or with China and India, save by way of Sydney. Attention is called to the now well known fact that just prior to the war Germany was engaged in linking up, her Pacific island possessions with the East with a view to a monopoly of the copra trade; anQ it is argued from this that If there should bo a comprehensive British steamship service ser-vice with Singapore at one end and MftW r. n ' n d r n f tlin ntlint- nnenrlniv n continuous supply of Asiatic labor for the islands it would greatly contribute to the material benefit of the proposed pro-posed federation. Not only will German New Guinea or Kaiser Wilhelm land, and German Samoa be disposed of at the peace table but the exceedingly valuable phosphate island, Nauru, the German Solomons, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Marshalls, Carolines and Ladrones. oo I |
