WHITE NEW ZEALAND.
"THE YELLOW PERIL." PRIME MINISTER ON DEFENCE POSSIBILITIES OF WAR. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL CORBESPON»ENT. } Paeroa, Weduesday. Sfkaking in the Criterion Theatre to-night the Prime Minister made an interesting statement on tho subject of defence, leading up to it by a reference to a white New Zealand. In New Zealand, he said, the people wanted to ensure for themselves a white race. They wanted to prevent a mixture, particularly with Eastern races, yet what were the facts?. Within a few days' sail of New Zealand there wore millions of Chinese and millions of Japanese. It was the former we had to look to. The Chinese were being educated to-day in the arts and sciences and warfarein the latter by men who wanted to use them in th» future for their own aggrandisement. We had the shadow of the yellow peril jver New Zealand. Suppose the time should come in future years when the educated Chinese were able to shoulder a gun. and take their position in the field on equal terms with 011161' nations, could we expect a handful of people in New Zealand to effectually defend our shores against them? This was, Sir Joseph said, one of the dangers on the horizon to-day. We must recognise that it was our bounden duty to ensure against it should such a time of danger come, and there were evidences that it might come. Germany's policy for a long time had been to build ships of war to bo able to take part against Great Britain should occasion arise. Why had the British Admiralty refused to agree to a reduction in the Naval Estimates? It was because Germany was carrying out this building programme in connection with her navy. This was a menace to Great Britain, and so a policy of building two warships to one was forced upon the people of Britain as a mere act of future defence and safety. Wo should never have a naval engagement on' the New Zealand coast. The future angagement would be in the Mediterranean, perhaps, or in the East, off India, but when it did come, let us hope that England would win. If Germany were to win, it would mean that not only Great Britain, but every portion of the British Empire, would be beaten. The pulses that were moving in the different Empires compelled us in these young countries not to neglect small matters. When Che people of the Dominion heard that the naval agreement, under' which New Zealand was paying £40,000 a year to the British navy had to bo increased, they must remember, he said, that this payment was not being made on -sentimental grounds. They must .try and realise that there was property here valued at several hundred millions at stake. As the people would insure their houses, the Government, as a common sense one, must insure against any foreign Power coming in and taking our personal property. The British naw was our first line of "defence, and British, pluck, courage, and traditions would come in there. - If the last defence was swept away every man in the Dominion, even in the event of the beating of the British fleet in the Mediterranean or in the East, would fight on to the last to preservo his country. (Applause.)
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13672, 13 February 1908, Page 5
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550WHITE NEW ZEALAND. New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13672, 13 February 1908, Page 5
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