Manawatu Evening Standard WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1913. AUSTRALIA'S PERIL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9503, 28 May 1913, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1913. AUSTRALIA'S PERIL.

i The grave risk which Australia is running in pursuing a go-slow policy concerning the Northern Territory has again been emphasised this week in the ■ triking .warning given by Mr Lovat ; Frazer, as cabled from London yesterl lay. This well-known writer makes a | startling forecast that Australia will be unable at the present rate of progress to keep back the yellow invasion for another century. He predicts that Australia, and not America, will be the scene of the next big conflict between the Occident and the Orient, and he refers to the foolishness of a country owning territory capable of carrying chirty millions of people and yet populated only by a paltry thousand whites 1 and a few thousand mixed coloured people. These prophecies of national disaster show how timely were the Empire Sunday remarks of Canon Garland, who is an ardent patriot and a whole-heart-ed supporter of a "White Australia." In the course of his tour in New Zearland Canon Garland has found opportunity more than once of expressing his opinions on this subject on which he is so enthusiastic, and he has given some striking facts which are worth pondering. In Wellington recently, in the course of a speech, he pointed out that the Northern Territory is about six times as large as New Zealand. The opinion was held until recently that this vast land was a desert, but recent explorations have proved it to be a fertile region with a good water supply. A few months ago by Government subsidy a mine shaft was put down in one of [ the allegedly waterless districts, but | within a short distance of the surface ; water was found in such large quantii ties that the shaft had to be abandoned. The rivers on the coast are navigable for a great distance inland and the climate for six months in the year is said to be fit for campiiig out. One of the things that has hindered the development of the Northern Territory has been the decision of the Commonwealth Labour Government to grant only leaseholds. Consequently with extensive areas open for settlement in Western Australia and Northern Queensland (on either side of the Nor- ; thern Territory) where freeholds can be obtained intending settlers are naturally avoiding the leaseholds which are offering. A striking instance of the menace which these vast unpeopled spaces present to the security of Australia is given by Canon Garland in a significant occurrence which took place j on one of the islands which are within a couple of days' sail of the Northern r Territory. The Malay Archipelago is one of the most thickly-populated parts of the world. Its islands teem with b coloured populations whose sympathies j naturally do not lie with the white races ~ who exclude them from their terri- , tories. Timor lies nearest to Australia, and recently its Portuguese owners had great difficulty in suppressing a serious rebellion which is said to have been instigated by a Power hostile to Australia. The news of this disturbance was not known in Australia 1 nor in any I other part of the civilised world till a fortnight after its suppression. Had it succeeded the Power interested might , have had a base within striking distance of the Northern Territory, which in the event of trouble over the White Australia policy would have made the occupation of the Northern Territory an easy, matter. Australia has a. grave problem to face and it must b« solved j immediately. .^]