Evening star., 1942-12-24
Smuts Outlines Plan
For Administration Of
Colonies After War
Regional Grouping Would
Give u. S. Voice in
West Indies Affairs
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. Dec. 24-Field
Marshal Jan Christian Smuts,
Prime Minister of the Union of
South Africa, today advanced q
three point program for the ad-
ministration of colonies in the New
World that will emerge after the
war
In a copyrighted article in Life
Magazine, Marshal Smuts, who took
distinguished part in the Boer
War against the British. said the
old British Empire died at the end
of the 18th century, found its grave
In the Boer War. and was sup
planted by IAN entirely new thing
animated by new attitude toward
human liberty"
To-day" he declared, "it is the
widest system of organized freedom
which has ever existed in history"
Outlines Proposal.
For the future of British colonies
and those of other nations after this
war he proposed that:
l. The existing administrative
relationship between mother coun-
tries and their colonies should re-
main undisturbed.
z. Isolated colonies should be
grouped into larger units for efficient
and economical administration.
3. There should be a system of
regional grouping Of colonies, with
the ultimate control OF general and
common policy under the direction
Of council representing the mother
country and all other nations in each
region. Under this system he said
the United States could be on the
regional control councff of the West
Indies.
He described the British colonial
system as one of political freedom
and ever-closer approximation to
freedom.
Discusses India's Status.
But it Is retorted," he said, what
about India? Why is India not
given her freedom? The an
swer is even simpler than the ques-
ton. India, If she wills, can be free
In the same way as Canada, Aus
tralia and New Zealand are today
free sovereign states. In all these
states their peoples. through their
representatives, came together,
worked out a constitution for them
selves and asked Britain to ratify the
result, and in no case in vain.
The same course is open to India
II the peoples of India will agree to
the terms of a free constitution.
Next to the winning of the war
the emancipation Of India without
internal disruption is today perhaps
the greatest prize in the world"
Celebrating on his three pro-
posals for the future Of colonies,
Marshal SHUTS said that while the
mother countries will be exclusively
responsible for the administration
OF their colonies, the ultimate con-
troll OF general or common policy
would come under regional COM
mission or council on which will be
represented not only the mother
countries. but also others regionally
interested for security or economic
reasons.
Thus the United States Of Amer
lea, although no colonial power,
could be on the regional control
council of the West Indies or of
Africa or elsewhere. 1t appears to
me essential that the United States
Of America should in the future
have direct say with the mother
countries in the settlement Of gen.
ersl colonial policies and some such
organization as is here suggested
that would give her the necessary
status with the rights and respon-
sibilities implied
II have no doubt that such a
partnership of the United States of
America in overhead colonial con-
trolls would be cordially welcomed SO
FAR as the British Commonwealth
OF Nations is concerned"