Patea & Waverley Press WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1924. PROTECTING BRITAIN’S POSSESSIONS

Patea Mail, Volume XLVII, 23 April 1924, Page 2

Patea & Waverley Press WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1924. PROTECTING BRITAIN’S POSSESSIONS

XIIB people of Australia and New Zealand, as well as those of the Motherland, have every reason for reeling aggrieved with the Conservative Government at Home for not having made the Singapore &a*ie an accomplished fact when limy held the reins of power-; It must have been patent to the Home authorities long before the late Government was defeated on me free Trade question that the Singapore base was a necessity for the protection of British interests in the Southern Seas. Australia, in particular, offers a tempting prize to any first-class Power that chooses to challenge Britain to open, combat. At present, Australia has a population of less than two persons to the square mile, whilst the coloured races of the countries nearby are not only thickly populated, but increasing in population at an astonishing rate, Japan, for example, is increasing her population at the rate of 080,000 a year, Korea by 600,000 per year, and China by no less than 5,000,000 yearly. In 1912, ■when the war was not thought of, the increase in Australian population was 3.78 per cent; that is to say, for every 100 of population the increase was 3.78 people. In the following year tiie increase was 3.10, but with the outbreak of war in 1914 the incrase began to go down. In that year it was only 1.60, and for the next two years It did not increase at all, but actually went back. The downward tide was gradually stemmed in 1917, when the increase was at the rate of 1.30 per cent. The next year it had jumped to 1.98. Then in 1919, when the troops were coming back, the rate jumped to 4.35, but in 1920 it dropped to 2.03, and in 1921 to 1.81. Over the 10 years from 1911 to 1921 the average rate of increase was only 1.87 per cent. This does not indicate that Australia will be able to held her own against Hie rapidly increasing yellow population within a few days’ sail of her shore. Australia, it must be remembered, is not the vast area of desert, as many people, on looking on the map, are wont to imagine. Much of the laud which, on paper, looks to be something like the Sahara, is really fertile country, only waiting for the hand of man to turn it into highly I‘eproductive country. Other parts which at present are not fertile, have great possibilities immediately the underground rivers are tapped, and irrigation works carried out. There is no doubt that more than oye country is looking with longing eyes on the rich prize that one 4a'y awaits them when they choose

to come along and take it. Today the chance of Britain losing any of her Colonial possessions may appear as remote to some as the possibility of Germany losing the whole of her possessions overseas appeared, prior to the war. But however remote these chances may appear to-day, it is no doubt a ract that they exist and are growing greater as the years go by. Under the circumstances, what is needed by Australia and New Zealand is both protection and population—a fact which the Labour Government at Home appear to have entirely overlooked. We hope, however, that the day is not far distant when the British authorities will see the wisdom of granting the overseas Dominions the protection they need before it is too late.