CO537-6046 — Page 179

SECRET

S.T.C.(49)17

7th December, 1949

14814/21/3/49

COMMITTEE OF ENQUIRY INTO CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

IN THE SMALLER COLONIAL TERRITORIES

Memorandum by Mr. W.H. Ingrams

In considering whether a territory can have real self-government in any degree, I should say that first the existence of common loyalty or loyalties and common patriotism has to be determined.

This does not mean that loyalties or patriotism. have to be towards Britain, but they must not be antagonistic to such feelings towards Britain.

2.

3. Valid association in the British community depends on sharing common ideas of a constant value. Anything less amounts to little more than alliance.

4.

Mere appreciation of the British connection for the security or benefits it bestows has its importance in a territory which may not want to be British but has to, but it should not be confused with loyalty and, in the absence of common loyalties and patriotism, is not enough on which to build a self governing state of whatever size.

5. What responsible self government within the commonwealth means must largely be determined by the interpretation which the majority of the citizens of any particular unit put upon the term or will accept. It need not mean full dominion status if, for example, Malta, Bermuda and the Bahamas are satisfied with what they have got, nor if Gibraltar found its aspirations satisfied by e.g. being incorporated in Great Britain. The small countries I know on the whole look on it as meaning absence of obtrusive control from Whitehall or by officials sent from Whitehall.

6.

On the other hand self government is not only promised as an answer to the aspirations of colonial peoples, it is surely intended as necessary to their growth to "manhood", It would be no more right to acquiesce in any satisfaction in subjection or dependence than it would be to bring up a child to complete dependence or to acquiesce in slavery because the slaves liked it.

7. All colonial territories should advance to that degree of self government within the commonwealth which their potential degree of possession of the essential freedoms enables them to attain. Their degree of independence will therefore be in inverse ratio to their nced for inter-dependence..

8.

The relevance of the essential freedoms at this stage lics not in their present possession by a territory whose ultimate constitution one may be considering, but in the degree of development of them which only may expect a territory to attain, This applies not only to freedom from want and fear but to freedom of speech and worship as well. One has to feel confident that they would exist if self government wore attained. In some cases 1 has been

/necessary