Redefining the Bonds of Commonwealth, 1939-1948: The Politics of Preference

364 Pages·2002·3.926 MB·English

by  Francine McKenzie (auth.)

Cambridge Imperial and Post-Colonial Studies Series
General Editor: A. G. Hopkins, Pembroke College, Cambridge
This informative series covers the broad span of modern imperial history
while also exploring the recent developments in former colonial states where
residues of empire can still be found. The books provide in-depth
examinations of empires as competing and complementary power structures
encouraging the reader to reconsider their understanding of international
and world history during recent centuries.
Titles include:
Tony Ballantyne
ORIENTALISM AND RACE
Aryanism in the British Empire
Anthony J. Barker
SLAVERY AND ANTI-SLAVERY IN MAURITIUS, 1810–33
The Conflict between Economic Expansion and Humanitarian Reform
under British Rule
Roy Bridges (editor)
IMPERIALISM, DECOLONIZATION AND AFRICA
Studies Presented to John Hargreaves
T. J. Cribb (editor)
IMAGINED COMMONWEALTH
Cambridge Essays on Commonwealth and International Literature in English
Ronald Hyam
BRITAIN’S IMPERIAL CENTURY, 1815–1914: A STUDY OF EMPIRE AND
EXPANSION
Third Edition
Robin Jeffrey
POLITICS, WOMEN AND WELL-BEING
How Kerala became a ‘Model’
Gerold Krozewski
MONEY AND THE END OF EMPIRE
British International Economic Policy and the Colonies, 1947–58
Ged Martin
BRITAIN AND THE ORIGINS OF CANADIAN CONFEDERATION, 1837–67
W. David McIntyre
BACKGROUND TO THE ANZUS PACT
Policy-Makers, Strategy and Diplomacy, 1945–55
Francine McKenzie
REDEFINING THE BONDS OF COMMONWEALTH 1939–1948
The Politics of Preference
John Singleton and Paul Robertson
ECONOMIC RELATIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND AUSTRALASIA 1945–1970
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Redefining the Bonds of
Commonwealth,
1939–1948
The Politics of Preference
Francine McKenzie
Assistant Professor
Department of History,
University of Toronto
© Francine McKenzie 2002
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2002 978-0-333-98094-1
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ISBN 978-1-349-43021-5 ISBN 978-0-230-55468-9 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9780230554689
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McKenzie, Francine, 1967–
Redefining the bonds of commonwealth, 1939–1948 :
the politics of preference/Francine McKenzie.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Commonwealth countries–Politics and government. I. Title.
DA18 .M38 2002
909’.0971240824–dc21
2001054576
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02
For Michael
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Contents
List of Tables viii
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgements x
List of Abbreviations xi
Introduction: the Necessity of Redefining the
Commonwealth 1
1 A Short History of Imperial Preference: the Myth of
Commonwealth Unity and the Reality of National
Interests 17
2 Defining National Trade Policy and National Interests
from Mutual Aid to the End of the War 31
3 The Beginning of Wartime Consultation, 1943 91
4 Problems Making Peace: Anglo-American Competition and
Commonwealth Jockeying, January 1944–August 1945 113
5 Imperial Preference and the Anglo-American Loan
Negotiations, September–December 1945 138
6 Waiting for the Geneva Conference to Begin:
Commonwealth and International Progress along the
Way, January 1946–April 1947 156
7 The Geneva Negotiations, 10 April–30 October 1947 185
8 The Havana Conference and the Reception of the GATT
Agreements across the Commonwealth 238
Conclusion: a Future for the Commonwealth and
for Commonwealth History 260
Appendix: Cast of Characters 269
Notes 273
Bibliography 324
Index 339
vii
List of Tables
1.1 Commonwealth Trade 22
1.2 Intra-Dominion Trade 24
2.1 UK Trade with the US, Canada and the Sterling
Commonwealth 46
2.2 Canadian Trade with US and UK 49
2.3 Australian Trade with US and UK 62
2.4 New Zealand Trade with US and UK 73
2.5 South African Trade with US and UK 82
viii
List of Illustrations
1 The Prime Minister Christens the Baby (The Bulletin, 1902) 7
2 Lip-Loyalty vs. Loyalty that Acts (Toronto Daily Globe, 1900) 18
3 Long-Distance Thinking (The Bulletin, 1943) 58
4 To the Last Man and the Last Shilling (Daily Telegraph, 1942) 64
5 Australia Demands an Independent Voice in Peace Talks
with Japan (Daily Mirror, 1945) 66
6 Is it Come to This? (Point Blank, 1934) 72
7 A VISITOR says ‘New Zealanders should build up their own
national destiny instead of depending so much on Britain’
(Truth, 1936) 75
8 History Repeats Itself (Cape Times, 1 April 1938) 85
9 The Puppet (Die Burger, 3 March 1943) 87
ix