What Binds Today's Commonwealth?
Today's Commonwealth is a "very loose association" of nations who have acquired, through their long association with Britain, a common heritage of ideas and institutions, and there is, of course, the English language which helps bind them together.
The Queen of England is the only formal link which binds the Commonwealth together. Each country is voluntarily a member, and has the option of leaving the Commonwealth at any time. No member of the Commonwealth is permitted to interfere in the internal affairs of the other members.
It may surprise some to learn that the Queen is also the actual "Head of State" in the following Commonwealth countries: Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Barbados, Ceylon, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, Mauritius, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
Malaysia, Lesotho and Swaziland have their own monarchs.
All other members are republics, and Tanzania has a "one-party" system.
The history of the British Empire is a fascinating one. It can be truthfully said that Britain didn't really plan to become the master of her far-flung Empire. But it nevertheless grew until it finally reached gargantuan proportions.
A close scrutiny of British history will show that comparatively little British blood was shed in the acquiring of the vast, far-flung territories which eventually made up her Empire.
It is an undisputable fact that Britain acquired most of her Empire by colonization, and by treaties. It was primarily through seeking greater outlets for trade and commerce, and through the missionary zeal of her subjects, that Britain acquired her Empire.
As an example, very little blood was shed by Britain in acquiring the vast country of India with its hundreds of millions of peoples and its almost-unlimited resources. In reality, Britain acquired authority in India in order to stop bloodshed.
Commonwealth Beginnings
At the turn of the 20th century Britain had established herself as the undisputed mistress of the seven seas. Furthermore, she had gained control of nearly all of the strategically important, international sea gates which controlled the sea lanes of the whole world. Britannia ruled the waves! Nobody dared challenge her.
The actual beginning of the self-ruling Commonwealth nations dates back to Lord Durham's famous report of 1839. This report thoroughly analyzed the causes of discontent in the Canadian colonies. It was feared the Canadian unrest might cause these colonies to follow the example which thirteen other North American colonies had taken about 60 years earlier.
Unless something were done, and done quickly, the Canadian colonies might secede from Britain — as the thirteen U.S. Colonies had done — and also declare themselves independent.
Britain didn't want this to happen. Lord Durham proposed that in the future the Governor should appoint Ministers who had the complete confidence of the local assembly and that he should accept the views of the assembly — except in certain matters particularly affecting relations with the "Mother-country."
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Henderson — Ambassador College
Four Commonwealth representatives who attended the meetings were (left to right)
Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India; Arnold Smith, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth;
Michael Stewart, Britain's Foreign Secretary; and Harold Wilson, Britain's Prime Minister.
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Thus by 1846 this recommended system of "responsible government" was already operating in Canada; soon afterward, it was extended to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and to the other North American colonies.
These British-run colonies or "White Dominions" became more and more autonomous as the years passed. They wanted more freedom — more liberty to run their own affairs.
The Imperial Conference of 1926 described Britain and the Dominions as "autonomous communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to the Crown and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations."
The Statute of Westminster in 1931 gave these Commonwealth nations still more freedom from the "Mother-country." The British Commonwealth of self-ruling nations really came into being — legally speaking — in 1931.
Seven nations made up the Commonwealth at that time: Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Irish Free State and Newfoundland.
This, then, was the old "white Commonwealth."
Mr. Arnold Smith, Commonwealth Secretary-General, made the following significant statement in 1966: "Once the Commonwealth was a very small and homogeneous [all of the same race] group of nations, all mainly of European origin, all relatively rich."
But what is it today? It has changed drastically since its formation in 1931. Many peoples of other races have been invited to exchange territorial status for Commonwealth membership.
Mr. Smith continued, describing today's Commonwealth: "It is now a typical cross-section of mankind and its problems. The association includes representative and important peoples from virtually all the main races, in all the continents, with a tremendous range of cultural traditions and of economic potentialities and problems, at every stage of development. It includes very rich countries and very poor ones, very large nations and very small."
Why was this "family of nations" originally called a "Commonwealth of nations"? Simply because the national birthright heritage of the old, "White Commonwealth" of nations was one of fantastic wealth! Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa were all very rich nations — compared to most nations of the world. They possessed a large share of the earth's best land, large deposits of minerals and other natural resources. They were peopled mostly by talented Northwest European peoples who had the ability and the energy to develop the fabulous WEALTH of these Commonwealth nations.
Yes, most of them shared a common language (English), a common racial heritage, a common law and educational system and a common wealth!
Eire and South Africa Leave Commonwealth
The Irish Free State (Eire) left the Commonwealth in April 1949. It became the Republic of Ireland. Newfoundland became Canada's tenth province in 1949, thereby ceasing to be an independent member-nation of the Commonwealth.
And South Africa withdrew from the Commonwealth — following Commonwealth criticism of its apartheid racial policy — in May, 1961 and became the Republic of South Africa.
The Commonwealth, originally composed of only seven loyal member-nations of about 50,000,000 people, gained many colored member nations to replace the white members that were lost. But most of the present members aren't loyal to Britain in the same way that the old, "White Commonwealth" was.
Today's 28-nation Commonwealth has a total population of about 800,000,000 and encompasses about 14 million square miles!
Since the end of World War II Britain has granted independence to over 30 British dependent territories — comprising a population of well over 700,000,000.
Britain began granting independence to her Imperial possessions in 1947. In that year India and Pakistan were granted independence, and accepted the invitation to join the Commonwealth family. Almost overnight, the white, rich, mostly Anglo-Saxon-Celtic Commonwealth had been transformed into a predominately dark (colored), poor, non-European association of "Commonwealth nations." But the majority of Commonwealth subjects from that day forward didn't really share in a Common WEALTH. The vast majority share a common POVERTY.