The Fabians and the British Empire, Part IV

Concluding that it was inevitable that the British Government take over the administration of the colonies, it had a further imperative to do so, Webb argued, because it was far more efficient. This argument was echoed two and a half years later in a lecture by Webb’s protégé at the newly formed London School of Economics, Professor W.A.S. Hewins, who distinguished between what he called "the two types of Imperialism," one that was bad and harmful and another that good and noble. The imperialism that currently existed, Hewins argued was

... retrogressive: it consists in trivial jealousies of other nations, in aggressions without object, in a lack of sense of proportion and of dignity. It advocates war for markets, and regards the navy as an armed advertising agency. It is based on a recrudescence of the old mercantile theory, since war for markets means for exclusive markets. Logically, it would result in a reversal of our Colonial policy, and the ultimate disintegration of our Empire; meanwhile, it suffers the postponement of reforms in favour of increased armaments. Where our trade is being ousted, it is really due to our ignorance, lack of enterprise, and, above all, to the absence of systematized commercial education. That is the bad Imperialism.[5]

Although this was so, he concluded by arguing that "Imperialism was inevitable," and that

We are in possession of our colonies and dependencies, and we must discharge our duty to them. For the present (that is, for several centuries) every Englishman must be an Imperialist. Imperialism would be the basis of a wise policy. It means efficiency in all classes; it means men in place of money.[6]

This distinction by Hewins and others between "good" and "bad" imperialism is quite important when trying to understand the degree of debate among Fabians over imperialism. Though coming down on the side of imperialism, Hewins and others insisted upon major changes and reforms being made. The most important of these "necessary" changes, but not the only one, was the removal of capitalism and capitalists from the operations of the Empire. To paraphrase Hewins, men needed to replace money. Furthermore, although the British Empire at the time he was lecturing was "bad" and needed major reforms, Hewins and others believed that it was reformable, and even more importantly, that the British, having had conquered its various colonies, were now required to carry out their duties to them, irregardless

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