The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, MARCH 25th., 1922 THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, MARCH 25th., 1922 THE WEEK.

A speaker at the Chautauqua season this week stressed the White Australian question very earnestly. It is a subject of paramount importance to the great continent, and is a problem on which opinion is much divided in Australia., though the bjulk of the opinion is unquestionably in favour of excluding colored races. Australia is a vast continent, populated only in parts along the sea coast in the main. There is a great interior country, and a vast expanse of country in the north, which many beliove is not suitable as a white man’s country, if it is to be developed and brought into profit. This range of country is the cause of the division of opinion on the subject of the exclusion of coloured races. But the fact suggests itself that apart from the difficult country mentioned, there is a considerable tract of territory suitable for settlement, and that settlement is not progressing as it should. The bulk of the popidation is centred in the chief cities. More than half of the six millions peopling Australia, reside in the Bix metropolitan areas. There is the call for energy on the part of Australia to remedy this. But there is no concrete policy in vogue to meet it. Immigration is going on, but not rapidly, nor comprehensively, and the people are facing the menacing position which the lecturer conjured up. The subject is of more vital interest to Australia than New Zealand. The larger area is more adjacent to threatening millions in Asia, where the colored races are so congested. The only way to avert the menace is to people Austraia and on the people themselves must be thrown the onus of coping with the difficulty. To that extent their destiny is in their own hands.

There was a contrast in public opinion expressed by the lecturers in the first and second nights lectures. On the first occasion there tvfiH the attack on war and its suppression. In the second instance there was tfie peed to . prepare for war and the marshalling pf fffiW for 1

when war shall be no more, is not yet, however desirable such a happy state cf affairs may be. Nor with disarmaent conference in agreenteint and curtailment of defence proposals, wil. tiicre bo an assurance of perfect peace. War springs chiefly from, sudden causes, and a set of circumstances may arise at any moment which invite participation in the stern reality of war as a dire necessity. That occurred in August, 1914. Immediately before the fatal 4th. there was no outward appearance of an approaching cataclysm, yet within a few days the whole Empire was arming and in time produced the greatest defence f.oroo the world has ever seen. That experience may not he repeated on so large a scale, for, for the time being at least the greater part of the world is impotent to face so & rent an undertaking. But minor wars spring up. Fighting takes place in unexpected places. Within countries themselves there arc upheavals. Internal Britain has had to display force at home in regard to strikes and the situation in Ireland. In South Africa there arose suddenly a state of civil war. In Egypt and India conditions verge on an internal outbreak more or less of serious consequences. 80 we have these war menaces ever before us, and however prone we may he to desire peace the present cannot be .ignored, and wo cannot he blind to our obligations to maintain law and order and '■ secure national freedom and individuI al security. These prevailing conditions | call for warlike preparations and rei mind us that the ideal of no more war is a period unfortunately very far remote.

Tins point of view gives prominence to the thoughts echoed by the second lecturer who advised the maintaina nee of a defensive force to secure the position of Australia aiid New Zealand. It is manifest that too much reliance must not be placed in the decisions of the Washington Conference. Great Britain has, as usual, shown her bona lides by readily proceeding to conform to her obligations under the restrictive resolutions. The United States delays in the ratification of the treaty, and the course of discussion causes a measure of distrust as to America’s bona, fides. There is a largo expression of influential opinion against the treaty, which suggests an underlying force of public opinion which will remain a menace to the goodwill which it was hoped in the first instance the Washington deliberations would create. Japan, in point of fact, has been more frank than the United States. Indeed Japan, our proved ally, has comported herself with a creditable dignity and sacrifice not second to Britain herself. But in securing the safety of the South Pacific- for the British possessions, Japan has to he taken into consideration. Japan has admittedly a fine navy, in ships as in personnel, and capable of the most intrepid acts. It is good for Australia and New Zealand that Japan is at the outset pro-British. In the defence of the Pacific, Japan counts materially and the measure of defensive methods of Australia and New Zealand will be giiaged b.V the strength of our confidence in Japan. There is no appareiit reason to question that confidence up to the present but Australia and New Zealand have divergent views with Japail oil the Color question, and it is hard to say how, in the future, that national issue may affect the position ot the nations in the control of the Pacific Ocean region.

It will be for Australia and New Zealand in any case to givo consideration to defence matters from a local as well as an Imperial point of view. The latter is restricted under the l erms of the Washington treaty, but th( Commonwealth and ithe Dominion must of necessity bear some portion of the cost of the maintenance of the British navy wherever it is stationed. We have long enjoyed the security imposed by reason of the prestige of the British navy., and have never contributed an adequate sum in return. We must meet this obligation more liberally in the future. It vfl ’3O necessary to learn the details of the treaty from the New Zealand representative. at Washington Conference, to asertain hov far the Dominion

committed to support the main fleet, and to wlmt extent we may prepare for local defence. No d.ouH any warships in Australia and New Zealand waters will count as part of the British naval quota, which may not be exceeded. There will thus ba a limit. Whatever ships are in these waters should be of the best class. Boats like the Chatham, and Melbourne are very suitable for defensive operations in the Pacific and it will be warships of this class which will he most required. Whatever we have to pay in regard to defensive measures on the sea will bo in the nature of an insurance fund. It will be a case of arm-

ing, not for war, but to seek avoid war. To have available an arm of defence which will result in possible attacks on our shores being avoided, and at the same time securing to our trade and commerce the ocean highways safe from enemy attacks. To thfit extent —necessarily a considerable one in opr remote and isolated situZealand must be prepared to ipeet attack and prepare for a state bf m ’A’lwh ot m tiro? m

suit from international complications beyond our control or desires. The third lecturer at Chautauqua, created an atmosphere all his own. He is a soldier who has seen much service abroad, and studied conditions i» foreign countries as well as within the i'arflung Empire. The speaker gave the audience the benefit of his views were most instructive, because has were most jnstructibe, because his opinions were founded on first-hand association. His remarks were comforting too, because in regard to some of the world problems to which h referred, the optimistic note he struck was most gratifying. He discounted much of the information forwajrded out to the press. This was specially Iso in regard to the fate of Ireland. He believes in the future of Ireland, because of the loyalty of the people to Ireland. The speaker allayed also, qualms of fear as to the yellow peril, ms remedy to elfect. salvation fi °m the menace was a simple one, and no doubt it is one which would appeal to the native mind itself. In all three instances the speakers had much praise for New Zealand. Ihey apprise our country at a high value. It was the first speaker who touched on the cardinal fact which created the value—the Anglo-Saxon characteristics of tlu people inhabiting the Dominion Why it is not a better place and more advanced than it is, was ascribed tc the modesty of the people. But is there not another reason 1 Our youtl New Zealand is not an old country and measured against older countries at the Dominion’s age, can we 1101 claim without boastfulness to he par ticularly well advanced for our year: of settlement. Of course we had i better start than the older countries and our pioneers were all picked men They laid the foundations truly anc well, and the structure how beinj reared is pleasing to ourselves ahd im pressive upon visitors. New Zealam is one of the futunate isles which a time goes forward will grow more am more in favor with the outside world.

That was a startling prophecy by the ’ speaker on Thursday night that within a limit of four years’ time aerie. I voyages from the Dominion to the I Motherland would be possible in a f®' v days’ trip at a nominal fare of £lO ? | Surely New Zealand is hybernating on the question of commercial aviation, when such a state of affairs is so near at hand, and the country is so unpre. pared for the new order of thiftgS; AVhat lias been done so far is left entirely to private enterprise in this country, and enthusiasts are plodding away striving to establish aerial navigation on an economic basis. The advancement in Europe and America is proof that the air is to become the great highway for international intercourse. It is remarkable to find how distance is being annihilated!, and journeys accomplished in marked safety at a cost below railway transport, apart from the value of the time saved. Aviation is necessarily of great importance to h remote outpost such as New Zealand This country has everything ao gain by being brough closer to the great countries of the world. Speed, and the valuable time saved, are great adjuncts to successful development. The remoteness and isolation of this country is its greatest handicap. With facilities for iqnick transport, groater notoriety will attend New Zealand, which will be more frequently visited. It is to be hoped that the remarks made by the speaker throughout his New Zealand tour, will help to focus public interest on this very vital question, and lead to practical developments in this country. As has l>een pointed out before in thi« connection, Hokitika has much of its future wrapped up in the progress of aviation, for it is a natural jumping off place for trans-Tasman flights, and brings us at once in direct connection with Australia and the world beyond.