Independence by 1957

The British, who find glorious words for both victories and defeats, have an expression for their retreat from imperialism. They call it "creative abdication."

In Malaya, Britain's rubber-rich colony, last week the phrase seemed for once appropriate. Four years ago the British promised Malaya self-determination "in due course," but did not fix a date. Last week the British named a date, and soon: August 1957.

Last year they set up Malaya's first popularly elected government, prepared for a period of temporary confusion and uncertainty while Malayans found their political feet. Chief Minister Prince (the Tengku) Abdul Rahman moved immediately to make peace with the Communists, offered an amnesty to Chin Peng, who has been waging guerrilla war in the jungle for eight years (TIME, Jan. 9). Stung by Chin Peng's taunt that Malaya would not be truly independent until it had control of the country's defense and security forces, Prince Abdul Rahman asked the British for full independence. The urgency of the Malayan situation led the British to take the risk. In a cream and-gilt room of London's Lancaster House, Chief Minister Rahman sat down with British Colonial Secretary Alan Lennox-Boyd and signed an agreement which will give Malaya complete internal self-government, including control of the police and defense forces, in 18 months.

Said Lennox-Boyd: "It is not a victory for either side. It is a recognition both of Malaya's new status and of our common interests." As a next step to further the common interest, the British plan to remove rubber and tin, chief exports of Malaya, from the list of strategic materials barred to Communist countries. By trading with Red China, the British argument goes, Malaya can become prosperous enough to resist Communism.

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