BRITISH STATESMEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 30

BRITISH STATESMEN.

struck than I had supposed possible by the dignity and the evidences of sound judgment and cultivation contained in the utterances of such men as Mr Haldane, Mr A. J. Balfour, Sir Edward Grey, M» John Morley, Mr Asquith, lord Lansdowne, the president of the Board of Trade (Mr Lloyd-George), and Earl Cromer." ' THE YELLOW RACE PROBLEM. ' " One other point," said Mr Johnstone, "that I think -worthy of mention is the attitude of the Home people towards the policy of Australia and New Zealand in re* spect to the Asiatic- question. It is cvi* dent that our legislation on this subject is regarded with a great deal of uneasiness. It, certainly appears to be a policy opposed to the traditions of British government. We ha-se insisted on China and Japan giving us an open door for the conduct of our trade in their countries, and it seems illogical, to say the least, that we should not reciprocate. Britain's trade with China ' last year reached the vast sum o£ £300,000,000 as against an aggregate of £20,000,000 of trade with all the .other European countries. _JFrom this it is evident how important it is that the British Empire seek to retain Ch'i.na's friendship instead of alienating it. America is already face to face with the . Asiatic problem, and it is scarcely possible that China and Japan will for long permit the Commonwealth to keep their subjects out of Australia. A prominent American gentleman whom I met in»

formed -ne that there were 10,000 miles of? railway waiting to be laid in the United States, but that this work could not beundertaken for want of labour. Probably; it will not be long before America Tecognises that it will pay her to admit th» yellow Tace, 'under suitable restrictions, in order that the country be developed 1 . If~seems to me also that coolies might beprofitably employed in many parts of the Commonwealth where the conditions are not suited to white labour, and where there is now no population whatever. This argument perhaps applies with lees force to the Dominion, but that the Chinese and) Japanese will sooner or later seek an outlet for their surplus population in Australia, and New Zealand is almost self-evident, and if we do not find a means of permit* ting them to do so peaceably, safeguarding 1 our own interests as may be necessary, a day will come when we shall have to meet n hostile invasion."

When asked to give his impressions of j British statesmen, Mr Johnstone said : — " One thing that struck me very forcibly when I was at Home was the difference between tho Biitish statesmen _ and our I colonial legislators. No doubt it is only | to be expected that the members of the Imperial Parliament should show come points of superiority over the New Zealand at Australia^ txse, but I was more |