AN AUSTRALIAN PROBLEM.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17812, 11 July 1923, Page 9

AN AUSTRALIAN PROBLEM.

MR HUGHES ON JAPANESE MENACE. (bt CABUE—PEESS ASSOCIATION —COPrSIOHT.) 'axjstbalian and n.z. cable association.) SYDNEY, July 10. Mr "W. M. Hughes, in a special article. in the "Daily Telegraph," urging the need, for developing and populating Australia, points out that Japan, as a matter of necessity and of life and death, must find an outlet for her surplus population. She believes in the greatness of her destiny. and feelfa capable of going much further than she has done in n'ational development. Is she to be told that she alone among; the nations must not do so? It is hardly for Australia, whose great need is population, to complain if Japan does not consent to impose checks on her own population. If these millions knock at our doors how are we to deny them admittance? We cannot hope to find shelter behind some-treaty of Washington or another. The League of Nations cannot help us, and it will be to the interest of the greater part of, the world that thieee starving millions should settle in Australia, rather than mix with people' in the other parts. These millions,, with oertain death behind them, may never come, but if they do and) find us still a mere handful of people in possession of a great continent, then, for us and our cherished ideals, it will be the end. We> must pro\ie ourselves worthy to fence off from an overcrowded world on© of the earth's finest possessions. A little time is still ours to prepare, by filling our vacant spaces with men and women of our own race, and to do all that needs doing to make good our claim, to a great and fruitful continent.