The Washington herald., 1921-07-03

but reafirmed. Even more emphati-
cally than British has been imperial
statesmanship in the assertion of the
necessity for Anglo-American asso-
ciation. let alone American friend
ship. II the British Empire can
khave its will. the United States and
1.-THE British Empire will constitute
in some fashion a partnership. not a
partnership OF law but of fact, seek
ing by common action in all world
questions to preserve world peace
and even to dictate fAnglo-Saxon
solutions to other nations which
would pursue their own nationalistio
ends without regard to the conse-
quences to world peace or to world
business.
Out OF the recent imperial con-
ference. then. two facts seem to
emerge: In the FIRST place the struc-
ture OF British imperial control has
changed and is destined to change
still more. Henceforth in an in
creasins degree the foreign policy
of the empire will be made not BY
British statesmen responsible to the
house of commons. but by imperial
statesmen, responsible to their sep
arate parliaments. which are sit
uated in at least three continents.
And, in the secondd place, the funda-
mental fact in this imperial policy
will be the pursuit of American
friendship and American partner
ship.
Problem Of Native States
Beyond there lies one grave prob
lem. the gravest which imperial
statesmanship has to face, the prob
lem which in varying phases is
found in Egypt. in India, in Mesopo-
tamia, wherever the British admin
istrators find themselves confronted
by q native race newly conscious of
its own nationalistic, racial or re-
ligious entity and seeking either in
dependence or equality. British rule
in India founded upon the concep-
tion of Justice and OF prosperity be-
slowed by a superior race. has mani
testify broken down. precisely as the
superiority of race is challenged.
The material benefits bestowed upon
India by reason OF British rule have
proved and are proving in the pres
ent hour insufficient to balance the
revolt which is spreading against
the treatment of n native as a native.
agair st the conception OF caste and
the prestige OF the ruling race, which
so deeply Lnderlies British colonial
administration in native states.
Today India, Egypt and Mesopo-
tamia are in the balance. the Brit
ish evacuation OF both Egypt and
Mesopotamia is at least a matter
Of public discussion. Ireland is.
after all, a domestic problem of
the United Kingdom. despite its wider
repercussion. but in the native col
onies lies the one hitherto insur-
mountable obstacle to the trans
formation of the Empire univer-
sally recognized to be necessary II
II Is to survive present difficulties
and contemporary disturbances.
Obstacle to Unity.
And in these native colonies IL
is difficult to see how the overseas
dominions can assist the mother
country, save only when the prob
lem passes. as II may. from the
hands OF the administrator to those
of the soldier. Here. too, a new
question would be raised. the uues-
tion as to whether the overseas
dominions would spend their blood
and treature to maintain British
rule in India when the profit would
be exclusively British. This Is one
more difficulty in the way OF the
tranformation which is today the
objective OF imperial statesmanship.
Rut tnTninrp
the details to the central fact. this
imperial conference. which has TAX
en- place before our own eyes and
hlled even American newspapers with
the echoes Of its sessions, must rank
az one Of the Great incidents in
contemporary history. 1t marke a
deliberate and reasoned effort to
transform the structure and char
acter OF the oldest and greatest en-
pire now in existence, the largest
the world has ever seen. No one
can question that the world war
mas shaken the structure to it's
foundations and demonstrated the
inescapability OF that thanrsforma-
tion.
Weed of Cooperation.
Nor can one mistake that at the
very moment when the huge .x.
pertinent is beginning. there has
oeen frank declaration on the part
OF all the Representatives Of tIo
many British commonwealth scat
tered about the even seas that the
nrSt article in the new constitu-
tion OF foreign policy must at least
provide for the absolute avoidance of
'iHaIr" Ont of which war might
spring and at best an association
which woEld constitute a reunion OF
all the separate fractions of the An
Glo-Saxon tribes.
sooner or later, consciously and
unmistakaoly, American policy and
american statesmanship will have
70 respond to this gesture. for II Is
not only clear that we must present
~ produce a foreign policy of our
own. but also our attitude toward
the British Empire must be the firs,
ana most important detail in th.t