CAB129-45 — Page 376

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activities have been severely hampered by the fact that it is a purely advisory body and has no machinery for associating with it that public opinion which might have helped, as in the case of regional advisory bodies elsewhere, to ensure that areommendatio8s/received public supppra and were infpresented. Those who have been most closely concerned with the working of the Council believe that an advisory body can by itself do nothing further of value to promote collaboration between the individual Governments.

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CHAPTER II

(1) THE POSITION TO-DAY .

16. As we have shown in paragraph 14 above, the factors which have in the past been held to weigh against an effective scheme of closer association are differences in native policy between the territories; the opposi- tion of African opinion; the small European population and the relative lack of trained and experienced men; differences in the constitutional status of the territories; and inequality in economic development between them. During the past twelve years there have been substantial changes in the position.

Native Policy

17. We have had before us an up-to-date comparative survey(2) of native policy in the three territories, taking account of both theory and practice, and prepared in the course of 1950-51 by the three Secretaries for Native Affairs working under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary of the Central African Council. The information and conclusions contained in this highly authorita- tive and objective report have been of great value to us in considering native policy a question which has always been recognised to be vital to any examination of the possibility of bringing about a closer association of the three territories. We have made a careful and critical study of this survey, and the detailed conclusions which we have drawn from it will be found in Annex II.

18. The most striking conclusion which we draw from our examination of the survey is the degree of similarity between the policy and practice of the three Governments rather than the degree of difference. The survey shows no differences between the policies pursued in the important spheres of educa- tion, health, agriculture, animal health and forestry as they affect Africans. The Southern Rhodesian Government have spent considerably larger amounts on these services than the two northern Governments. In local government for Africans in their own areas Southern Rhodesia has made less progress than Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland, but it has for some time been aiming at the same objectives so that differences which have existed in the past are becoming less marked. Differences of policy still exist in political development (particu- larly the representation of Africans in central politics), land allocation, certain aspects of the employment of Africans and the recognition of trade unions for Africans. But we believe that these differences, although important, relate largely to method and timing and that the ultimate objective of all three Governments is broadly the same, namely the economic, social and political advancement of the Africans in partnership with the Europeans.

19. We do not believe that the differences in native policy which still exist can now be regarded as a valid argument against closer association, provided that a suitable scheme can be devised. On the contrary, we think that there

(2) This is being published separately.