Evening star., 1931-11-22
British Empire Is
Formally Dissolved
BY A. G. GARDINER.


LONDON, November 21.-The whole
world Is so much In the melting pot
these days that one of the most dra-.,
matte events in the history Of the
British people Is passing almost unxe=
,garded. 1t Is nothing less than tbs
formal dissolution Of the British Empire.
In the House of Commons on Friday
new law entitled "the statute OF
Westminster" came up for second reads
ing and passed with little opposition.
The statute establishes equality In
status of all dominions In the British
Empire, aholiShes the doctrine Of the
supremacy Of the government and
Parliament Of Great Britain In the af-
fairs Of the overseas dominions and
formally ends the old conception Of Q
supreme imperial Parliament ruling
over dependent colonies;
with the passage Of the bill, the his
tpric basis Of the empire ceases to exist.
In its place comes into being a British
commonwealth of nations, each abso--
lutely independent and the whole bound
together only by the bond of sentiment
expressed in the preamble to the statute
by the phrase Common allegiance to
the crown is the symbol of the free
association of members of the British
Commonwealth Of Nations"
The formal dissolution of the empire
implements fact already accomplished.
Prom the days of the American War OF
Independence onward, the process OF
diSintegTation has been in operation
and the authority of the imperial Par
hament over the colonial units cease
leSsly diminishing, sometimes under the
stress Of threatened rebellion, as in the
case Of Canada, and sometimes by .
deliberate act Of the Legislature, as u
the case of the establishment Of South
African independence after the Boer
War.
A few Shreds and tatters Of the
ancient prestige of the imperial Parlias
ment remain, but the fact of equality
IN status and the independence Of the
dominions was specifically defined in
the Balfour declaration unanimously
adopted by the imperial conference in
1925. With that declaration, it was
assumed that the complete independ-
ence OF the dominions was sufficiently
recognized and that the statutory disso-
luton of the British Empire was
needless formality. This view prevailed
not only in England but in those do
minions which are Indifferent to written
law embodying fact. Two Of the
and 8Sa Ie1S S hsysys t syt sSsfa
under the suspicion of the least lirni-
tation Of action and, like Humpty
Dumpty, wish to see the word "inde-
pendence" written down.
Hence the statute of Westminster,
which formally diSsolves the British
Empire and substitutes the British
CommonwealthS of Nations. Under the
statute Canada will have the right to
which IS almost the last remnant of
imperial supremacy, and Ireland Is
claiming the same right.
= X y
The attitude here Is one Of entire
indifference to the spectacular passing
Of the empire and the general feeling is
expressed by the London Times, which
about paper safeguards that are need
less If there IS good faith and useless
there IS not. The British Empire IS
dead and the British Commonwealth Is
born, and If the passing Of the statute
removes any lingering suspicion ef the
cloyen hoof Of imperialism. that fact IS
concurrently with ths statutory dec
laration Of independence OF the self-
governing dolninions, problazns adyane=
t1g the same goal In regard 70 India,
are sttn checked by the Moslen and
Hindu cross currents. Tha rollnd-kahle
conference, which was expected to close
Intellectually this week, has been pro-
longed into next in the hope of finding .
q solution of the rival claims and in
order to discuss questions of control Of
the army and financial safeguards. But
it Is clear that unanimity of Indian
opinion is practically unattainable and
that the Macdonald government will be
compelled to impose its own solution
for the electoral basis of the proposed
Indian constitution.
(Copyright, 1879