ABSTRACT

The British government was rather wary of making specific promises on colonial development. Its statements about its long-term aims in this regard were made mainly in the post-war years in response to Britain’s economic crisis and international and colonial nationalist criticism that Britain was failing to fulfil its obligations as an imperial power. Emphasis was often placed on the role of export production:

Against the background of national economic difficulties there are four features of economic development in the Colonies which can be readily appreciated and which are consistent with the indispensable objective of strengthening the colonial economies. First, the Colonies are already producing important quantities of many commodities in world demand, notably rubber, cocoa, fibres, vegetable oils, sugar and tropical fruits, and improvements and expansion in these established industries offer the greatest contribution to Europe’s distress. … Second, there exist possibilities of production in new fields; but considerable practical and material difficulties have to be overcome if these possibilities are to be of medium or long-term significance. Third, if results are to be obtained the necessary priorities have to be given for plant and materials in short supply, and also for supplies of consumer goods. Fourth, machinery has to be devised to make available the necessary capital, and to undertake the tasks of investigation and supervision. [June 1948] 1

The Colonial Empire produces foodstuffs and raw materials which the Western nations need. The more of them they can export, the more money they will earn with which to purchase consumer goods, improve their social services, and further expand their production through the provision of better or more extensive basic services – roads and railways, water and power supplies, irrigation schemes, and so on. With the rise in Colonial living standards 300comes a further advantage to the Western countries, in the stimulus given to the colonial markets for their manufactured goods. [June 1949] 2