WHITE AUSTRALIA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21663, 1 December 1933, Page 8

WHITE AUSTRALIA

JAPAN NOT COVETOUS POOR COLONISING NATION DESIRE ONLY FOR MARKETS The opinion that Australia has nothing to fear from the possibility of a Japanese invasion is expressed by Major L. Cassel, 0.8. E., cf China, who has been credited by Sir Cecil Clementi, now Governor of Singapore, with having a knowledge of Far Eastern politics unapproached by any other foreigner. 'Writing in The Critic, a Hongkong weekly review, Major Cassel says:- " There are many signs of a firm belief in Australia that Japan has been casting covetous eyes 011 the vast unoccupied spaces oi: Australia, with, as an immediate objective, the northern territories as a nucleus for .Japanese colonisation and expansion. There is an obsession in Australia that tlio danger of -this attack is an immediate one. California had the same mental disease for soni€' time, but, since the advent of President Roosevelt, though subject to spasmodic outbreaks, the disease was now not in the virulent stage. "Why should Japan attack?" asks Major Cassel. " If she had the slightest inclination or intention to expand her empire in the direction of Australia why did she not seize the opportunity of the Great War, when other ' scraps of paper ' were being lightly destroyed. There were two good reasons why Japan did not do so. The first was that Japan was completely loyal to her alliance, and the other that she did not want to be hampered by territorial possessions so far from home that in time of war she could not protect them.

Love oi Own Country " The British, Empire was acquired when our naval supremacy was unchallenged. To-day such piratical schemes would be immediately challenged by at least four great Powers with navies more powerful .than Japan s, namely. Great Britain, France, America and It a lv. t , - " Japan is a brilliantly clever and cautious diplomatist, and one who is intensely introspective. What is more, e'ne is superlatively honest with herself. She once had colonial aspirations. Isow she has realised that her people are poor colonists. The Japanese abroad thinks in terms of returning to pon. Formosa, Korea and even churia still remain largely unpopulated bv Japanese, though fertile and with a climate more like that of Japan than that of Australia. The Japanese in Australia would be largely an alien, and, though friendly with European people, the Japanese does not assimilate easily with them." , Taking Manchuria as an example, Major Cassel points out that Japan has raised the population from o>ooo,ooo to 30,000,000, but by the immigration of Chinese, not Japanese. Japan has developed the. harbours, rail ways and mines, and, above all, the agriculture, but there is still only a sprinkling o Japanese in Manchuria and thess are inostlv doing executive work. Formerly Japan was an agncultura l nation:, to-day she has change,l her outlook to one largely industrial. By ex porting her industrial products she can purchase all she needs in the way of agricultural commodities and. make a profit in doing so. Finally, by this change-over, she has retained her manhood handy in case of at^ c J' her powerful army, navy and air iorce at home ready, not to attack far-away Australia, but to defend her merchant shipping bringing supplies from " bouring countries and to protect her long coastline. Selling Her Goods

" Japan wants markets for (t her goods," continues Major Casßel, and fnarselv-populated countries with wideopen spaces like Australia have no attraction for her. There are Jigger and better markets nearer home to buy hei goods, the raw material for which she is content to buy largely m Australia, so much so, in fact, that the balance of trade is largely in favour of This raw material she can get else where, in countries where the balance nf trade micht be in her favour. f " Manchuria she has now secured as a market. The more Manchuria produces bv her agriculture, carried over Japanese railways or in Japanese ships, manufactured goods can Japan sell to the people of Manchuna ln another quarter of a century there will be 100,000,000, Chinese in Manchuria readv to buy Japanese goods and supply" her with agricultural products m Pa ?J^an T (:Soes not want any Australia, but that does not say that she would not /resent an insult and be miick to do so. I know Japan, and I know that my'diagnosis is a correct one ' so let Australia sell her wool to Japan and go about her husmes ouietlv. with the balance of trade in her favour. She will then find thru nobodv wants to or will interfere with hen If Australia will follow that adyce, she can remain " white if for no SLon than that nobody wan*. her to be anything else, certainly not Japan.