WHITE AUSTRALIA

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 9, 11 July 1922, Page 6

WHITE AUSTRALIA

SIR HENRY BARWECE'S ATTITUDE

MISREPRESENTATION BY AMEEJ

CAN PRESS.

(il TELEGRAPH.—6PICUL TO TH» POST.)

AUCKLAND, This Day. The .white Australian question was the subject of a statement by Sir Henry Barwell, Premier of South Australia, who is a through passenger, by the Makura from Vancouver to Sydney. He stated that h« was not perturbed at the storm of hostile criticism that has been raised ia Australia regarding his reported statement as to the menace of the .inviting emptiness of the Northern Territory and the problems of tropical labour. The majority of these reports he characterises as most outrageous fabrications. '-■.'ln soundly condemning them his indignation is leavened with mirth over/ the amazing audacity of the authors of the reports. Sir H«nry Barwell states that he 'is not likely to soon forget his experiences of the phases of American journalism. He referred to one newspaper that was brought under his notice just before he left America, in reporting an address' that he delivered before the English-Speaking Union. The-- paper madeit appear that he dealt with the question of Oriental labour for Australia, a subject that he never even mentioned. Not only were certain*remarks on this question ascribed to him, but they were given in the first" person by way of emphasising that it was .a verbatim report. . •. , ■ '

/"The report," said Sir Henry "ran into columns and carried a great top hamper of headings across the page I was alleged to have said I was.in-favour of Australia entering into an agreement with Japan foi the influx of Japanese immigrant-s to Australia, while we were in position to do this gracefully rather than wait until Japan entered by force. Such a statement, of course, is absurd." What he eaid repeatedly was that there was a vast area of rich country in the Northern Territory which could not be developed without tropical labour He ■had not ever said what sort of labour should be obtained. The Agent-General for Western Australia, who was : among his critics, had said-that it would be wise to take Maltese immigrants for Australia. As a matter of fact Tie (Sir Henry) had remarked that it was quite possible that coloured labour would not be required. He bad himself suggested Maltese immigration war possible as an instance of white labour that might be suitable for tropical countries "If," he concluded, "Australia- can be. developed with white labour nobody will be more pleased than I. What I do say most emphatically is that Australia must be developed, for great empty spaces are undoubtedly a menace'to'Australia and incidentally to New Zealand.'1