THE PACIFIC

Otago Witness, Issue 3524, 27 September 1921, Page 37

THE PACIFIC

RACE BARRIERS. CAN THEY BE MAINTAINED? Brigadier-general T. A. Blarney, C. 8., C.M.G.. D. 5.0., Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Australian Eection, delivered a lecture in Sydney under the auspices of the United Service Institution of New South Wales on “The Problem of the Pacific." He declared that it was a vital consideration to Australia whether the race barriers couici be maintained, and averred that they could be maintained effectively only by the effective occupation of the whole of Australia. General Blamey said that on the solution of the Pacific problem depended the destiny of at least three peoples. One result of the war was that the centre of human interest had shifted from Europe to the Pacific. That movement still had far to go. For Australia the final triumph would be the complete unity of the Anglo-Saxon race. The three problems were race increase, race development. and race transference. There were the Anglo-Saxons on the one hand and 'Te Chinese and Japanese on the other. The AngV-Saxons and tlie yellow races had not yet passed that stage, where their growth was natural and irrepressible. The growth of the Anglo-Saxons had been marked by an extraordinary power for absorbing other races. The three essentials remained —language, institutions, and ideals. The AngloSaxons had failed signally t-o absorb peoples who were not of somewhat similar st-cck. The Australian aboriginals and the Red Indians went down before the Anglo-Saxons. After sketching the colonisation of America by the British race, General Blarney said the expansion of the British race was still being carried on. Naval dominance enabled Great Britain to secure Australia for colonising purposes. It was 70 years since Japan was visited by Admiral Perry, and that period had been one of tremendous awakening and development in Japan. She had developed her Ee*a power, and the trail for anco of the Japaneee race across the seas lit d gone on. In the East human life was cheap and abundant. Education had made the people of the East discontented and unhappy and that was a compelling factor in racial development. One extreme was the Australian working man, with his ideal^ working conditions, and the other the coolie in China and Japan, who was easily contented, and. would work many, many hours for a small dole—a bare subsistence. That constituted a difficult and interesting situation. Japan was, speaking broadly, one of tlie poor countries of tlie world. She was not particularly rich in metals or in agriculture, and a great proportion of her laud was mountainous. That was one of tlie compelling factors in driving the Japanese across the seas. They found that wealth was much, more easily obtained in other countries. J a pan was blocked in North America and blocked in Australia. Australia could not block her of herself, but she could as a member of the British Empire. China did. not offer a field for the race movement of the Japanese. In South America last year there were GO.OOO Japanese.

General Blarney described the present position in China. It was, he ©aid, tin interesting situation. They might see some union in China. If not, there would be a breaking, up into provincial control, with the added temptation of other Powers to protect their own interests. There was now f. more hopeful outlook of a united Republic in Southern China. A question that exercised the minds of many people at the present time was how far Japan was interested in the intrigues in China. It was hard to see how the restoration ox the Mnnchuo would

benefit Japanese residents, but it was certain that the restoration of the Mauchus would ensure that there would be no union in China. The position, of Japan in Manchuria at the present time was very much the same as the position of the East India Company in India m the old days of the company. Japan was able to develop very considerably during the war, because tlie other peoples of the world were so much occupied in winning the war. Japan during the war displaced many British and American trading concerns in Chim Had Japan’s twenty-one demands on China been conceded, Japanese control in China would have been firmly established. Referring to America. General Blarney said thev heard very much of the attitude of Wcet-era America. But it was very doubtful whether Eastern America had a great deal of feeling on the problems of the Pacific. Very acute observers had stated that Eastern America did not give a great deal ct attention to the Eastern problem. There was no doubt, however, that the p -otection of the western c< vst had exerci ed the mind of the American Government. That was shown by tlie disposition if the American fleet. Dealing with the strategical situation, General Blarney said it would bo strategically impossible for America to attack Japan or Japan to attack America witli any hope of securing any national result. There was not much chance of any war <f first-rate importance between America and Japan. But in ease of war between America and Japan tii” lat'er should not find it very difficult to s- zc tlie Philippines. That was the only grave danger of any immediate conflict of interests. But Australia in herself was not so happily placed, continued the General. Her re sources were not so concentrated, and they might no* be available in the same toncen tiat'-d way. Australia herself had not tin caoneitv to carry out a great war, and ifio might find herself forced to take so meet <.f war as any aggressive nation might givf her. So long as the Empire was free tin potential power behind Australia was great and she also might be said to lie impregnate; to attack from any outside source. Arm teana’e position would become serious if tin

yellow races progressed at such a late as to force the Governments to find outlets for the population. The ineffective occupation of the Northern Territory and portion of Western Australia made Australia particularly susceptible to aggressive action. It was very doubtful whether the judgment of the world would be in Australia’s favour on the White Australian policy. The East Indies were of importance to Australia, and New Guinea was of especial strategical significance to the commonwealth. It was very hard to understand the reason lor tlie maintenance of such a huge army in Japan. Half the income of Japan was employed in maintaining that arm}*, and there did not appear to be any desire to reduce it. From the Australian point of view it was a vital consideration as to whether the race barriers could be maintained. They could be maintained effectively only bv the effective occupation of the whole of Australia. The question was whether the period of adjustment in China would occupy attention for a sufficiently long period to allow the increase of population in Australia. That was open to considerable doubt. General Blarney, concluding, said lie wished to bring before the minds of the people the analogous situation between Japan and the Asiatic continent to-day and Great Britain and the European continent in the time of tlie PLantagene-ts. In the latter case the island kingdom forced itself as a conqueror upon the foreign peoples of the mainland, and her domination lasted until those peoples were strong enough to win their liberty. Future generations would see whether the conditions were sufficiently parallel to produce similar results, and whether history would repeat itself along similar lines (Applause.)