§ DR. MACNAMARA (Camberwell, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will call Lord Milner's attention to the apparent conflict in the circumstances that, whilst on 3rd January he cabled that the opposition to the Chinese Ordinance is now confined to a small minority among Boer and British even in the Cape, and on 28th January that local opposition is now apparently extinct, a Blue-book is issued on 3rd March covering the period from 13th January to 1st March containing many protests and a petition to the King from meetings of the inhabitants of South African towns against the Ordinance.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. LYTTELTON,) Warwick and LeamingtonThe hon. Member will find the latest expression of Lord Milner's opinion on this subject at page 14 of Cd. 1941. It is dated the 25th January and is consequently more recent than any of the petitions referred to by the hon. Member, except one. The hon. Member will also notice that all the petitions and resolutions from the Transvaal, with one single exception, are in favour of Asiatic labour. In these circumstances I see no reason for calling Lord Milner's attention to the matter.
§ DR. MACNAMARAIt would appear that on other occasions Lord Milner has seriously misunderstood South African opinion.