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the powerful British Empire. Actually
Britain just
stumbled
into her Empire!
The world sbakes its head in dumb–
founded disbelief to see British leaders,
after World War II, give away their
vast Empire - their national
birthl'ight
- for nothing!
True, the Empire has been trans–
formed into the Commonwealth, but
this motley assortment of nations is
held together by almost nothing. There
are
no strong ties
binding most of
today's Commonwealth nations - no
strong bonds of loyalty and/ or broth–
erhood to give the Commonwealth real
substance, real muscle, bone.
Many feel that Britain did a magnan–
imous, benign and wise thing when,
with precipitous haste, she granted her
colonies complete independence so soon
after World War 11.
Others felt that these colonies were
not, in most instances, yet ready for
self-government - didn't possess a
large enough corps of well-trained per–
sonnel to wisely run their countries
after independence.
They believed it would have been
better for the former colonies, better for
Britain, and better for the world if Brit–
ain still ruled her former Empire. They
pointed out tbat in sorne of these newly
independent countries the expected eco–
nomic growth would have been from
100 percent to 200 percent higher had
Britain continued to run the govern–
ments and the economies of the
colonies until more leadership per–
sonnel were trained.
Certainly, far-sighted Sir Winston
Churchill didn't believe it wise for Brit–
ain to scuttle her Empire. He stoutly
declared: "1 have not become the
King's First Minister
in
order to preside
over the liquidation of the British
Empire." And Si.r Winston had fought,
as did millions of other Britons, in
more than one way, to preserve Britain
and her empire -
intact!
But it is a curious twist of fate that
the British themselves finally succeeded
in destroying their own Empire - even
though numerous powerful enemies
(Napoleon, the Kaiser, Hitler) had
utterly failed to accomplish this. And
with the Empire's dismantling, a great
deal of world stability was Jost.
The
PLAIN TRUTH
Commonwealth Benefits
Today's Commonwealth embraces
about 800,000,000 people, inhabiting
one quarter of the land surface of the
entire earth. lt is an enormously rich
"free association" of peoples- with
vast natural resources with ability to
make significant contributions in intel–
lectual and technical fields.
The Commonwealth is responsible
for over
one fifth of al/ u•orld trade
f
About one third of the world's inter–
national payments are financed in ster–
ling. All Commonwealth countries
(except Canada) belong to the ster–
ling area, and even severa! non–
Commonwealth countries are members
of the sterling bloc.
Yes, the Commonwealth is a vast,
wealthy and potentially very great asso–
ciation of free nations. They have all
joined the Commonwealth of their own
free will and can choose to opt out any
time they please.
But in spite of the many problems
and tensions inherent within the Com–
monwealth, the various members have
found that there are many advantages
of belonging to this club - advantages
in the fields of trade, education, medi–
cine, law, administration, government,
scientific research, industrial planning,
marketing techniques, architecture, agri–
culture, forestry, the arts, broadcasting,
tourism to name just a few.
Besides this, they all have the English
Janguage, cultme and the Crown in
common. The Queen is the acknowl–
edged Head of the Commonwealth.
British Arms to South Africa
Today, the last remnants of Com–
monwealth solidarity could be smashed.
This was made quite evident in the big
Commonwealth Conference by the strife
over the issue of Britain supplying arms
to South Africa.
Before the Conference began, certain
African Commonwealth leaders made it
clear that they were in opposition to
Britain's supplying arms to South
Africa - which they said might be
used against the blacks of Africa in the
carrying out of the apartheid policy.
Sorne of the African lel'ders threatened
to walk out of the Comrnonwealth - if
Britain went ahead with her arms sale!
When the Commonwealth leaders
MEMBER NATIONS OF THE
BRITISH COMMONWEALTH
1931 Conodo; Australia; Now z..,tond
1947 Indio (Republic, 1950)
Pokiston (Republic, 1956)
1948 Coylon (Ropub1ic, 1970)
1957
Ghono,
lormorly
Gold Coost (Ro–
pu bllc, 1960)
Malayo (on electivo monorchy, now
Moloyslo; seo Soboh ond Soro–
wok, 1963)
Cyprus (Ropublic, 1960; Cwlth .
Membor, 1961}
1960 Nlvoria (Republic, 1963)
1961 Sierro leone (Ropublic, 1970)
Tongonyiko (Republic, 1962; unired
196-4 with Zonzibar os Tonzonlo)
1962 Jomoico; Trinidad ond Tobago;
Ugondo
1963 Zonzibar; Konyo (Ropublic, 196-4}
Sabah }
in Federotion of Moloysio
Sorowok
(on elective monorchy)
Singopore, os Stote in f.derotton
of Moloysio, seceded
01
Repub·
llc, 1965
196• Molowl (formor/y Nyosolond Proto<•
forofo; Ropublic, 1966); Molto
Zombia (Republic,
formorly
North.
orn Rhodosio)
1965 Goonbio (Tho} (Ropublic, 1970)
1965 Guyono; fotmer/y British Gulono
(Ropublic, 1970}
Bohwono (Republic;
formor/y
lo·
chuonolond
Protedorote)
losotho (Monorchy; formor/y Bosut–
olond)
Borbados
1968 Mouritius; Nouru (Speciol Mombor–
ship}
Swozitand
1970 Fiji; Tongo
SOURCE: Whitoker's Almonoc, 1971 odltion
met in Singapore, there was a noticeable
diplomatic chi ll in the air between cer–
tain members. Prime Minister Lee of
Singapore, the Commonwealth host,
tried to generate a thaw and create a
warm atmosphere among the members
of the Commonwealth. He declared:
" lf
we cannot contain our present differ–
ences over the proposed arms sales then
it is unlikely that the Commonwealth,
as at present constituted, can long
endure."
How right he is!
Mr. Edward Heath, Prime Minister
of Britain, made it dear that he would
not be pushed or bullied into accepting
the African point of view. He declared
that Britain would not Jet any nation
meddle in her domestic affairs.
How paradoxical that he should fecl
impelled to warn sovereign states who