POPULATING NEW ZEALAND

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 14 July 1938, Page 7

POPULATING NEW ZEALAND

SETTLERS FROM JAPAN BISHOPS SUGGESTION ACCEPTED IN TOKIO IU PA.— Bv Electric Telegraph—Codyrigdtl (Received 14th July, 9.15 a.m.) TOKIO. 13th July. Questioned regarding the New Zealand Bishop Cherrington’s suggestion that the Japanese settle New Zealand and Northern Australia, Mr Iguchi. a Japanese Government spokesman, said that the idea was “very fair.” Asked if Japan was prepared to ex- | port 5.000.000 people, Mr Iguchi answerI cd : “Yes.” In the course of his charge to the Waikato Synod on Monday, the Rt. Rev. C. A. Cherrington. Bishop of Waikato, stated: “To suppose that a large country like this could possibly be defended with troops raised from our paltry population two or three ships and a score or two of aeroplanes is completely ridiculous. I think.” He suggested that perhaps the best means of national defence would be to offer such potential enemies as Japan j room for their surplus population within the Dominion j “Why not, as a fresh, bloodless and altogether satisfactory means of de- | fence, having in view, for example, such a possible and powerful enemy as the i Japanese, offer them room in a land i like this which we cannot possibly people?” He understood the whole of the north of Australia was at the most but sparsely populated. It was said that it was an impossible country for white people. Why not offer it as a free gift to the Japanese? In twenty years they might make it a veritable garden of the Lord. “We cannot use it. Then why keep it like a dog in the manger? Look at the waste in New Zealand—miles and miles of land that our scanty populations cannot make use of. Why not offer large tracts to the Japanese.’ We have all sorts of people of different blood living side by side with us now, and it is no disadvantage to us. If only five millions were admitted. New Zealand would not know itself for the wealth that would ensue.”

Politically speaking, such a procedure might be regarded as wrong and chimerical. but the matter had to be considered from the Christian point of view or one’s Christian beliefs meant nothing.