If the welfare of the colony is the first desid eratum, the degree of control exercised by the mother country over the internal affairs of a settlement colony will be moderate at the be ginning, and will tend constantly to diminish. The prosperity of the English colonies in Amer the other hand, this gradual ripening off the parent stem is by no means the normal course of a tropical colony, where there are two un mingling elements in the population — a colored race and an incoming European race. In the West Indies, for example, self-government means the rule of the one race or the other. There is either the domination of a large native population by a permanently resident European caste, cut off from the moral and political condi tions which have produced European standards, or else the subjection of the white element to the uneducated and politically inefficient ma jority race. Here, the home government pre sents itself as a power superior to local prej udices and able to override the antagonistic class or race interests which otherwise might wreck the prosperity of the colony. For these rea sons the system of self-government now en joyed by the colonies of Canada and Austral asia is not likely soon to be extended to the remaining 500,000,000 human beings in existing colonies, dependencies and protectorates.
The method of direct administration — ica was largely due to the salutary neglect of the mother country. They revolted when she sought by a stricter control to make them sub serve her economic interests. The home gov ernment, even with the best of intentions, is likely through sheer ignorance to press upon the colony institutions ill-adapted to local condi tions. On the other hand, during the early life of the colony, the settlers, preoccupied with private affairs, have little leisure for the study of the problems of administration and govern ment. Their political life is unduly dominated by selfish, special interests, and there is danger that the first comers may monopolize or waste the natural wealth which ought to be reserved for later arrivals. As impartial umpire and as custodian of the interests of the future, the home government may wisely exercise a super vision which will diminish as the colonial soci ety grows in mass, stability and variety of interests. In the final stage of political connec tion, the colony is granted autonomy in all save external affairs, or even becomes with the mother state a member in a federal empire. On known as ethe Crown colony excellent as a means of balancing conflicting interests and protecting the native majority against oppression by the white minority, errs in trusting too much to the power of ordinance, and showing too little deference to the deeply ingrained customs and chaiacteristics of the native population. The direct government of
an alien race by European officials is, moreover, very expensive; and if it is sought to utilize natives as magistrates and police, the best among the native leaders will stand aloof, leaving often only the riffraff to become the instruments of administration. Provided there exists an ad vanced civilization and a highly organized native society, the legitimate ends of European control over a tropical region can best be attained by preserving and working upon the native government through the instrumentality of a protectorate. By this method the natives continue to follow their natural leaders and retain their time-hallowed laws and customs. Resident agents of the suzerain country super vise the native authorities and, by the exercise of personal influence, prevent misrule, suppress obnoxious practtces and introduce gradually the standards of civilized administration. Com mercial and industrial development proceeds apace, while the local population is better safe guarded against exploitation.
The present century has seen a marked in crease of political dependency. Strong nations have evidenced a growing disposition to police and place under orderly administration all regions where potential wealth exists, in order to make safe and profitable the improvement of such resources by means of the capital and skill of their citizens. The investment motive is likely to become in the future even more imperious than now, and the increasing speed of communication favors the permanence of the colonial relation where once it is estab lished. In fact, in the more advanced nations a larger and larger share of attention is devoted to colonial affairs and problems. See COLONY.
Bibliography.— Alston, L., 'The White Man's Work in Asia and Africa' (London 1907) ; Beaulieu, P. L., 'De la colonisation chez les peuples modernes) (Paris 1908) ; Bigelow, P., 'The Children of the Nations' (New York 1901); Caldecott, A., 'English Colonization and Empire' (London 1901) ; Dilke, C., 'The Brit ish Empire' (London 1899) ; Egerton, H. E., 'British Colonial Policy' (London 1897) ; Flammarion, C., 'Domination et colonisation' (Paris 1910) ; Hobson, J. A., 'Imperialism' (London 1902) ; Kidd, B., 'The Control of the Tropics' (New York 1898) ; Morris, H. C., 'History of Colonization' (New York 1902) ; Peters, C., (Zur Weltpolitik) (Berlin 1912) ; Reinsch, P. S., 'Colonial Administration' (New York 1905) ; Roosevelt, T., 'African and Euro pean Addresses' (New York 1910).