TNAG-0714-FCO40-910-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 46

Bill, the principle of consultation and consent of the inhabitants played a considerable part in those that were asked (others were

particularly directed to Italy's retention of the Dodecanese Islands which also came into negotiations with italy at the time). It should

further be noted that the negotiation was initiated by the Labour Govt of Ramsay McDonald but was completed by a Conservative Govt which

succeeded in Nov. 1924.

"

As early as Feb. 1924 a PQ asked whether "before any agreement is

reached the peoples concerned will be consulted or whether a settlement

is to be reached with no reference whatever to the inhabitants a

question which was ruled out of order by the Speaker. The following

day (25 Fcb) the PM, Ramsay McDonald, was asked whether the inhabitants

of Jubaland and the Dodecanese were being in any way consulted as to

their future allegiance, to which a delaying reply was given. Another

to the Colonial Secretary (J. H. Thomas) asked whether the native popul- ·

ation had in fact beeh, or would be, consulted, to which the reply of

the Colonial Secretary was that "No condition as to the consent of the

inhabitants was made in the Treaty of London" and "the fulfillment of

that treaby cannot therefore be subject to such consent. The supple-

mentary question to this - whether this was not a departure from the

principle of self-determination was dismissed.

Meantime, the Kenya settlers in their Legislative Council, in

which they had since 1922 some representation, were demanding some

form of compensation for Kenya's loss of Jubaland and the revenue

therefrom, and in May 1924 the PM replied to this that no compensation

would be paid to Kenya for either. A further question asked what was

"the position of native and private interests to be handed over without

compensation" and what steps were to be taken to safeguard them, to

which the Colonial Secretary merely referred the questioner to the

terms of the Agreement to be disclosed when the Bill was published.

The Treaty was signed on 24 July 1924 and the second Reading

of the Bill confirming it on the 18 Dec, by which date the Labour

Govt had been succeeded by the Conservative one of Baldwin. Cmdr. Kenworthy (later Lord Strabogld) led the attack with an amendment

throwing the bill out, tabled, as he made it clear, to safeguard native

interests, which was withdrawn after a short debate in order not to

offend Italy. But a substantial part of the objections in the debate

were based on non-consultation of the inhabitants. The Colonial Secret.