The Dominion. THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1936. OUR FIRST LINE OF DEFENCE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 149, 19 March 1936, Page 8

The Dominion. THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1936. OUR FIRST LINE OF DEFENCE

It was rightly remarked by the Prime Minister on a recent occasion that population is this country's first line of defence. Its present population from that point of view alone, to say nothing of other pertinent reasons, is perilously inadequate. How to increase it without undue disturbance of the national economy is a problem of great complexity. But the problem must be faced without unnecessary delay. It is, moreover, an Empire problem. Progress in all of the British Dominions and'colonies is being retarded by lack of population. Development in all directions, in transport, in social services, and so on, has out-paced the actual needs of existing populations, with the result that the taxation required to meet interest and sinking fund payments is greatly in excess of what should be an equitable ratio to income. Thus enterprise is handicapped by a crippling overhead burden. These things have been said before. It seems desirable that they should be reiterated because of the appearance of a new factor, namely, the challenge.of the over-crowded nations who demand room for expansion to those possessing more land than they seem inclined to use. This country of one million and a half people has ample room, it is estimated, for ten millions at least, and if the truth were known it is probably taxed in that proportion. Canada’s population of ten millions is carrying, it is estimated, a taxation burden, of twenty millions, and that Dominion could easily accommodate thirty millions. The Australian continent has an area of something under three million square miles and a population of about seven millions. Compare this with London’s area of 74,850 acres (county and borough), and its population of four millions and a half, and to Japan’s 260,662 square miles and population of over thirty-four millions. If overseas settlement were steadily progressive it would not be difficult to answer the challenge of the countries demanding room for expansion. But migration throughout the British Empire, and especially in Canada, in Australia and in New Zealand, is practically stationary. The Empire is therefore open to the criticism that it is occupying land that it does not use, and which others could use if they had the opportunity. There is a growing feeling throughout the Empire that this reproach must be removed. But how ? With a persistent high figure of unemployment in all the Dominions there is a national disinclination on the part of their Governments to embark upon immigration programmes unless they can see some way of avoiding economic complications. Constructive ideas on the subject are therefore welcome. The most recent contribution to the question is by a Canadian citizen, Brigadier-General Hornby, whose pamphlet, Canada and British Immigration, presents some helpful ideas. The author agrees with many others that the pioneering period of migration has passed; that what is now wanted is the organised migration of selected families, to be established in self-supporting homes on the land under a plan of financed and supervised settlement, with guarantees that they will not allowed to become a burden on the communities which receive them. That in principle; is the general policy governing New Zealand immigration at the present time. But it is not organised. People dribble in, and sometimes dribble out again disheartened and disillusioned. Brigadier-General Hornby offers the same criticism of Canadian immigration. In neither case is there an objective and a systematic plan for reaching it. In both cases the objective, Impractical reasons, must necessarily be somewhat remote, involving a long-term programme. “At present,” he says of Canada, “we have to move slowly, laying the permanent foundation for a continuous stream of desirable immigrants.” This consideration constitutes a very good reason for making a beginning as soon as possible. In the earlier period of Empire colonisation trade followed the Flag. The later sequence of events is for trade to follow investments, and population to follow trade. If British investment capita! went into the Empire for developmental purposes, the problem of migration might be solved in the natural course of economic expansion. But a very large proportion of that capital is concentrated in foreign countries, and in some cases operates in severe competition with commercial enterprise within the Empire. Huge sums, for instance, are invested in Argentina, to balance which the United Kingdom is obliged to admit frozen and chilled meat in competition with primary industries in British countries. This aspect of the problem emphasises the importance of approaching it from an Empire standpoint. The question was discussed informally at the Ottawa Conference in 1932, but nothing was done. Brigadier-General Hornby condemns the report of the British Inter-departmental Committee on Migration Policy (mentioned in these columns recently), on the ground that its conclusions are largely negative, and that the committee itself, which consisted almost entirely of Civil Service officials, was out of touch with the views and requirements of the Dominions. The foregoing considerations lead him to the conclusion that the question is one for an Imperial round-table conference, sitting with the definite object and determination to hammer out a solution acceptable to all, and a plan that can be systematically carried out. In view of his previous declaration on the subject of our first-line defence, the New Zealand Prime Minister at this juncture has an opportunity for giving a valuable lead to the Empire.