The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-02-26


lnony in the face of the dsparate tendencies of the
different parts, consequent Independent capitalist
development, and the growing economic and stra-
tegical weakness of the British centre. This prob
lem takes different forms according to the charae-
ter of the parts: in the of the conquered col
onal races, where the control is directly military
and autocratc, and the local bourgeoise weak, the
principal menace is the menace of mass revolt; in
the case of the emigrant White colonies or Domin-
ions, where there is strong local bourgeoise with
many ties with the British the control is necessarily
less direct taking the form of alliance concessions
of autonomy, financial domination etc. and the strug
gle of interests take more subtle FORMS The inn
perial conference the conference of white
ploters, itself directly only with the prob
lens of the latter group in relation to the subject
colored nations, constituting six-sevenths Of the
whole the British and dominions bourgeoisie main
tain united front as the single session colonial
and mandates problems showed.
British hegemony over the White Dominions rests
three factors: first, the economic supremacy Of
Britain the principal industrial workshop and
customer of dominions products second, the fnan-
cial supremacy of Britain the of
capital for Development and third, the straegical
supremacy of Britain the protector against for
cign attack and mantainer of sea communications.
The weakening Of British hegemony over the do
minions follows on the weakening of the above fac
tors: the industrial decline, financial inability to
maintain sufficient supplies of capital and the
passing of naval supremacy since Washington; sec
ond, on the invision of new and stronger candi-
date for these functions in the shape of the United
States; and third, on the independent development
of the domnions towards their own industry, accu-
mutation of capital and their military and
naval forces.
The solution of this situation for British imperial
ism would depend on, first, complete economic re-
organization of the empire in accordance with new
realities and the weakened position of Britain; and
second, a closer alliance with the colonial bour-
geoisie Such reorganization is, however, beyond
the powers of British capitalism in decline; and
both these tasks come in conflict with a thousand
developing forces, both inside and outside the en-
rire which make their realization impossible Hence
the failure of the successive efforts at empire de-
velopment and unification which nevertheless re-
mains the principal line of policy of the British
bourgeoisie land consequently of the reformist la
Dor leaders who follow them) as the sole solution
Of the economic crisis.
In the 1923 Imperial Conference the attempt was
made to achieve simple economic unification on the
lines of imperial preference. This policy broke down
on the divergent economic Interests: the dominons,
while nomnally granting imperial preference, have
actually raised their tariffs against both British
ard other foreign goods British manufacturing and
commercial interests not prepared to penalize
two-thirds of their trade for the sake of third
The Baldwin government, introducing the program
of tariffs, fell at the general election of 1925 and
subsequent developments in this direction have been
the whole limited.
The three years between 1928 and 1926 saw
growth of separatism, well as of American eco
nomic penetration of the dominions. This separa-
tism gave rise to acute political problems: ques-
tons of separate diplomatic representation, of
separate foreign policy, constitutional crisis in
Canada demands for independence in South Africa
Reputation of obligations by all the dominions
Reputation of the Locarno Pact.
The 1926 Imperial Conference was principally con-
cerned with this political crisis When the imperial
lists speak of the conference as a Success" they
mean that the immediate acute points of this po-
litical crisis were successfully faced-or evaded-
without breakup. The character of such claim
as success" sufficiently reveals the delcacy OF
the situation.
The political document in which the constitutional
agreement is registered exists in the Report on Inter
Imperial Relations. This report, which is the prin-
cipaI public document of the conference, is nomin-
ally character of dominions autonomy proclaim
ing their fullest independence and equality with
Britain. A closer examination will show that this
appearance is deceitful and that while the document
comedies no right to the dominions that they have