CO885-(21-23) — Page 642

PAPERS

RELATING TO A

COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO ADVISE AS TO THE ESTABLISH- MENT OF A NEW ORDER OR DECORATION FOR NON-EUROPEANS.

To consider

I.

TERMS OF REFERENCE.

(a) Whether it is desirable to establish a new decoration for the recognition of loyalty and public service by non-Europeans.

(b) If so, what form such decoration should take :-

(1) A new order, or

(2) A badge, or

(3) A collar, or

(4) Some other form.

(c) Whether there should be more than one grade in such decoration.

(d) Whether it should take different forms in different parts of the Empire

according to race and religion.

(e) Whether it should be provided by the Colonies and Protectorates concerned or by the Imperial Government.

3

6. We see no difficulty in so amending the Statutes of the Order as to extend the grant of the Companionship, as well as of the Medal, to unofficials who have rendered

ineritorious services,

:

7. We recommend that, as a corollary to such an amendment of the Statutes, the number of Companionships should be increased by 150, and that 200 out of the total so increased should be set aside for non-European officials and unofficials in the Colonies and Protectorates.

8. While this extension of the Imperial Service Order will, we consider, meet the requirements of the majority of cases of good service by non-Europeans, it will not be sufficient for the reward of such specially distinguished services as are now occasionally recognised by the grant of the Companionship of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. 9. We wish to draw attention to the very small number of Companionships of this Order that have been given to non-Europeans. We understand that the present number is but 12, out of an establishment of 725, of which some 300 are at present allotted to persons in the service of, or resident in, the British Dominions, Colonies, and Protectorates. We consider the number granted thus has been inadequate; and we recommend that a proportion of Companionships should be set aside for non-Europeans.

10. Finally we recommend that the insignia attached to the Orders which we have discussed should be provided by the Imperial Government.

11. It will be understood that the foregoing recommendations are not intended to supersede or to affect the practice of presenting robes, swords, &c., to native chiefs in cases where the grant of Orders or Decorations would be inappropriate.

H. R. COWELL,

WEST RIDGEWAY.

M. F. OMMANNEY.

MATTHEW NATHAN.

FRANK SWETTENHAM. F. D. LUGARD.

F. M. HODGSON,

290

PUBLIC RECORD

OFFICE

Reference:

།།། ། ། ། ། mmimmimC.O. 885

23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH--NOT TO |

II.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON DECORATIONS FOR NON-EUROPEANS.

Confidential.

1. We have taken into consideration the questions submitted to us in the terms of reference. We have held several meetings, but, having regard to the wide experience of tropical Governments possessed by the members of the Committee as a body, and to the confidential nature of the enquiry, we have not thought it necessary to hear any witnesses. We have, however, had before us a summary of the despatches addressed to the Secretary of State by former Governors of certain Eastern Colonies on this question.

2. We have carefully considered the question of the desirability of establishing a new decoration to be bestowed exclusively on non-Europeans, and we are unanimously opposed to such a course. We deprecate the introduction of race distinctions in connexion with Orders or Decorations granted by the Sovereign, and further we are satisfied that an Order not shared by Europeans would not be valued by non-Europeans. Similarly, we doubt whether an Order from which officials were excluded would be acceptable to unofficials in the Colonies and Protectorates.

3. At the same time we are impressed with the importance of securing that the meritorious services of non-Europeans, whether subjects of His Majesty or under His Majesty's protection, should be more frequently rewarded by the grant of Orders and Decorations in the future than they have been in the past.

4. We have, therefore, considered whether it would not be possible so to extend or adapt the distribution of existing Orders as to provide for a more liberal distribution amcngst non-Europeans; and we have given special consideration to the case of the Imperial Service Order.

5. This Order, by virtue of its name and constitution, is, we consider, eminently adapted for rewarding meritorious service by non-Europeans. At present, however, it can only be granted to members of the Civil Service.

. Secretary, August, 1913.

NOTE BY SIR MATTHEW NATHAN.

While not dissenting from the general recommendations embodied in the above report, and whilst strongly of opinion that more use might be made of knighthoods and other existing honourable distinctions for the reward of non-Europeans, I would prefer, as an alternative to amending the Statutes of the Imperial Service Order to enable the Order and Medal to be granted for other than long and faithful official service :-

(a) That there should be a Colonial Reward for services rendered in a Crown Colony or Protectorate by persons not serving the Crown in an official capacity, and that the reward should be given irrespective of race.

(b) That the reward should take the form of a gold brooch worn in each Colony or Protectorate in accordance with the rules laid down by the Governor in Council or Governor as the case may be.

(c) That the names of those persons to whom the reward is granted should be published in the Gazette of the Colony or Protectorate, and should also be inscribed on the walls of the building which may be decided by the Governor in Council or Governor to be the principal building of the Colony.

(d) That there should be only one grade of the Colonial reward.

(e) That the brooch should consist of a frame of gold surrounding the arms of

the Colony in which it is granted, done in enamel.

(f) That it should be provided by the Imperial Government, and conferred by His Majesty,

The adoption of the foregoing suggestion would give considerable power of rewarding the non-Europeans who form the great bulk of the population of the Crown Colonies for services of less importance than those for which knighthoods and other honourable distinctions can under existing Statutes be granted to them as well as to Europeans.

MATTHEW NATHAN.

(38287-2) Wt. 33242-830, 30. 144. DES.

A 2