‘‘NOTHING TO FEAR”

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 140, 13 May 1930, Page 2

‘‘NOTHING TO FEAR”

ASIA’S TEEMING MILLIONS. LECTURE TO W.E.A. Quoting from eminent authorities and speaking from personal observation, Mr J. A. Brailsford, 8.A., tutororganiser to tlie W.E.A., delivered an address iast evening at the Oroua Hall on racial questions, throwing considerable light on a subject that is as interesting as it is problematical. Mr Brailsford confined himself to the racial issues: (1) Race intermingling, and (2) the supposed peril of Asia’s teeming millions. Exclusionists argued, the speaker stated, that the intermingling of the races was bad, and there were others who argued that the Asiatics would ultimately swamp the white race. The argument that arose from that was whether the white race should take up arms and be prepared against such an intrusion. However, although the view used to be held that race-intermingling was evil, very few now expressed horror at the idea. For instance, few people nowadays were ashamed to have some Maori blood in their veins. In the year 1892 Hubert Spencer said: “To your remaining question, respecting tlie intermingling of foreigners and Japanese, which you say is one of the most difficult problems, my reply is that, as rationally answered, there is no difficulty at all. It should bo positively for-bidden. It is not at root a question of social philosophy; it is at root a question of biology. . . . There is abundant proof, alike furnished by the intermarriage of human races and by the interbreeding of animals, that, when the varieties mingled vary beyond a certain slight degree, the result is invariably a bad one in the long run.” STATEMENT QUESTIONED. “Now,” added the lecturer, “Hubert Spencer was a great man and thinker, but I doubt if a more unsicontific statement has ever been made. He took it for granted that the same purposes were to be served in the breeding of sheep as in the breeding of humans. Professor Boas points out that it is wrong to compare humans with domestic animals. He acknowledges that the mentality of the poodle-dog is quite different from that of the bulldog, but says the anomaly with human breeding is not well founded, because we have no rigid inbreeding such as is practised in the case of dogs. And lie says the difference between family lines are much greater than the differences between race. In short, there is no clear race distinction. Dr Reuter, of the lowa University, says that there is no evidence on which to base conclusions as to the biological result of intermingling, but he predicts that this mingling will go on until the two races become united. He regrets the arrogant attitude of the whites, which isolates and handicaps the negroes.”

“Give a dog a bad name and hang him” was the maxim of another American professor, stated Mr Brailsford, in referring to the former’s contention that there is no idea of inferiority among the large mixed races of South America. Mr Brailsford also explained that his experience in the East was that in China intermarriage was opposed, tho white husband being practically ostracised by society, while m Japan the feeling -was less violent and the children of such marriages fared better than in China.' “So that,” explained the lecturer, “in the opinion of modern science there is no evidence to show _ that there is danger in the races intermingling and the fear has been invented just to serve the purpose of prejudiced people. Moreover, I think we should refrain from putting any obstacle in the way of the progress of the races in coming together.” SUPPOSED PERIL. Dealing with the second question, i.e., the supposed peril of Asia’s millions, Mr Brailsford said that from the evidence available it was far more reasonable that the Asiatics should fear the white race swamping them than that the white race should fear being swamped by the Asiatics. The figures used to compare the increase of the two races were entirely false, it being admitted that the rate of increase of the Western race had been far more rapid than in , the coloured races. Moreover, no race of people wanted to bring millions of children into the world to be badly cared for. Industrialisation made room for large numbers in other lands, and it was to be doubted if there was any need to get into a state of alarm because the coloured races were increasing. There would necessarily be a stimulation in the East, followed by a reaction. What was the use then of becoming alarmed ? Rather should the white race worry over being at the mercy of the weaknesses of the present social orao r or things and look for the possibility or friendship with other nations.