21.
On the other hand regional conferences of African territories and a Pan African association must have advantages, and this leads one to suppose that outlook and interest must be pretty close to ensure a reality of success. I can see much associations as Aden and Aden Frotectorate units with Somaliland and Zanzibar bein successful.
22. On the whole I should believe that it was best, at any rate in the first instance, to encourage groupings like these for a start and to develop congresses of an official and unofficial nature on various subjects in which common interest was assured. One would then see how far common outlook could be expected. Meetings would of course have to be based on delegations being mainly of citizens of the territories concerned. Conferences of local government bodies, including British local governments, could be very useful.
I
23. As I have made various references to democracy and shall make others, I think I ought to emphasize that I regard the teaching and practice of democracy in the western sense as a necessary foundation to all ultimate constitutions in the commonwealth. doubt if membership can be securely based without it. The principles of the Durham report and subsequent developments of the idea of self government arose out of the background of the original colonies largely composed of people of our own race. We have now applied them to colonies of people not of our own race in whom our ideas of democracy are not instinct. If we are to keep them with us we must therefore implant those principles firmly and teach them in no uncertain manner. We have never admitted that our democracy, a product of our island and climate etc. cannot be transplanted. "Let not England forget her precedence of teaching other nations how to live".
24. While what I have written above may be said to be of a general nature and arises out of conclusions reached in the course of experience of some of the territories concerned in this enquiry, I should find it very difficult to frame any fixed general principles of constitution making which would be valid in all cases.
It seems to me that there would have to be so many buts and ifs in applying them to many particular territorios that they would be almost valueless. In the following paragraphs I give some views on individual territories which reflect the general ideas I have expressed.
II.
Zanzibar present position.
25. Zanzibar with Pemba is all that is left of the African part of an Arab empire originally based on 'Uman. The capital was trans- ferred to Zanzibar and Arabs of the ruling race became genuine settlers, Though we have preserved the form of that Arab rule, Zanzibar is much more directly administered than, for instance, the Gold Coast.
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is
26. Zanzibar has a mixed community: Arabs of different origins and sects, Hindu and Muslim Indians mainland Africans, freed slaves and aboriginal tribes. Most of the component parts, with the exception of rabs from South Arabia and most of the Indians, are in sentiment Zanzibaris. There is little to be feared from inter- communal clashes and there is complete religious toleration by mutual consent. It is a happy community.
27. The suggestion that Zanzibar and/or Mombasa might be turned into a centre of Arab culture is an imaginative idea but one that is unlikely to achieve hoped-for results. The dominant Arab culture in Zanzibar is Ibadhi. This is heretical and the Shafi Sunnis of Arabia and East Africa (far more numerous than Ibadhis) would not play. Arabia regards Zanzibar as "lost" to British colonisation and do not regard the Sultan of Zanzibar with the veneration and affection with which Zanzibaris and we ourselves regard him. Nevertheless the cultural possibilities should not
/be