GLOOM IN CALIFORNIA

Grey River Argus, 12 May 1911, Page 2

GLOOM IN CALIFORNIA

The Oaliforaian people living in what they like to describe as the "last outpost" of the white nace, are firmly convince*! that the white man and the yellow man are destined to fight for supremacy in the Pacific. A correspondent of the London "Spectator" suggests that a certain amount of uneasiness on the point is natural enough, because the white man in California is not holding- his own. The population is increasing, but only by immigration, the birth-rate being- only, about fourteen per year per thousand. "People still marry, but children have gone out of fashion," says the correspondent. "Religion is languishing as a real force in <the community, and many are turning- towards the 'beauttful mirage of Socialism, while over the western horizon looms big and black the cloud of impending war with Japan. Wihen that war comes it will not' be a farce, like our Spanish promenade in arms in 1898, ibut a real heart-stJrrirtg and even heart-breaking contest, which, in my opinion at least will awaken the sentiment of" patriotism all over the country, and weld the heterogeneous elements of our population into a solid coherent mass, from which will spring tne real American nation of the .twentieth century "—a nation which will speak English, but which will hajve too large an admixture of Latin, Celtic and Slav blood to <be any longer called AnigloSaxon.' r The correspondent adds tfiat the republic 'is quite unprepared for war, and that the Japanese will be able to rule the Pacific during the •first few months of the struggle, taking- Manila and the American islands, and even landing . an) army on the Pacific coast. The real struggle will come, he believes, in the second stage of the war, and the Americans will have to do their work alone, lookitag for no. assistance from outside. "We .have foolishly alieanied Russia," the Oalifornian .says, "the .best .we can expect from Britain is neutrality, France is of small account in this case, and Germany would hardly grant aid except at the price of some •too onerous concession on our part.*' The correspondent seems 'to take an unnecessarily pessimistic view of. che situation. The Japanese statesmen are quite capable of realising that a f eAV initial successes, would not co'tistitute a vifctory, and fhey will not lightly undertake a . war that they could hardly hope to carry to a profVtable conclusion.