Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE. WEDNESDAY APRIL 9, 1902. A QUESTION OF COLOR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9400, 9 April 1902, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE. WEDNESDAY APRIL 9, 1902. A QUESTION OF COLOR.

One of the big problems that the Commonwealth of Australia will have to face is the effect that the recently-concluded treaty between England and Japan may have upon the determined policy of a White Australia. Already a special eonv missioner from the little island nation is visiting Australia, and has indicated that steps will be taken to set aside to some degree the legislation enacted by the Commonwealth against the admission of alien races. Upon this matter, he says, "The Japanese GovernmenLjs consulting with the English Governnterit." It is quite natural that the Japanese Government, having entered into a friendly alliance of supreme importance with that of Great Britain, would seek to have its subjects placed on a different footing from other alien races differentiated against by the Federal law. In this prospect, says a Sydney contemporary, lies the one visible danger of difficulty arising between Australia and the Mother Country. There is no question of Federal policy on which j Australian feeling is so strong and so unanimous as that the population shall be white. To carry this purpose into effect as soon and as fully as possible, strong sectional discontent hus, been caused in one of our States by ordering Kanaka laborers to be dispensed with much earlier than was expected by those who employed them. The negotiations proceeding, therefore, between England and Japan may give rise to an awkward situation. The Japanese Commissioner claims that, in the interest of trading relations between the two countries—and since the advent of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha to Austra: limn waters those trading relations have assumed vefy substantial relations—Japanese "must be treated decently." He declares that "there must be some difference made between our traders and undesirable. Asiatics—there must also be a line drawn between the ordinary immigrant and the business man. Between this Australian Commonwealth and our country commerce is increasing, and our trade relations ought to be. more cordial. This is not a very big question with us, but it is causing a good deal of unnecessary fraction." Briefly, the proposal is that the law of exclusion, should be so modified in the case of Japan as to admit Japanese citizens of standing to take up their residence in Australia for the purpose of facilitating the development of trade between the two countries. A very reasonable proposal it seems to us to be; but not so to the average Australian. The objections are thus stated by a leader of the White Australia movement:—"lt is not Jbecause persons of such races desirous of'entering Australia might be of low social class, incapable, perhaps, of maintaining themselves, and likely to become a burden on the community, or,to form at best a very cheap and servile class of workers. IjTis because of their race, their alien standard of civilisation, their inability to politically assimilate with us in building up a homogeneous people. The most wealthy, intelligent, or capable Japanese—and in the matter of intelligence, general ability, and progressiveness the Japanese are far ahead of most races whom we wish to exclude—would be no no more welcome among us than the least. Australia has set before her a higher ideal than the commercial advantages or current prosperity which could be purchased by racial degeneration. The consideration Mr Murakami advances is, therefore, null and void. Trade with •Japan is much to be desired. It is growing,. and may ultimately become very great. The rapid development of manufacturing in that country, the importance ib has suddenly assumed as a Power, and the advantage and prestige it will gain through alliance with Great Britain point to the probability of its becoming the great trade centre of the Far East. Australia, by her geographical position, can more, advantageously than most countries exchange products with Japan, and through Japan supply other Asiatic peoples. But the same reason for refusing to stimulate that trade by the means proposed is inoperative as in the case of the Queensland sugar industry. Those interested in that great branch of production declare that it will be destroyed if they are not permitted to obtain a sufficient supply of cheap colored workers. The answer of Australia is that if such is the case it mngt go, even as the Kanakas must. And that answer must meet every temptation to increase material prosperity by \imparting to the white skin of Australians even a faint tinge of black or yellow. The difference between trading and admitting to our household as members of it all among those with whum we trade who wish to come is veiy great. We can advantageously trade with men of-every race and color among the world's peoples, who will buy from us, and sell to us, as for half a century England has done. But our family circle,is a thing sacred and apart from our dealings in the marketplace, uaid to be always preserved so, even at the cost of a few bargains in purchase or sale."