RACIAL ANTAGONISM

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19246, 11 February 1937, Page 12

RACIAL ANTAGONISM

BRITONS AND ITALIANS QUEENSLAND CANEFIELDS FEARS OF EXPLOSION BRISBANE, Jan. 31. The racial break between Italian and British sugar growers in Northern Queensland is widening, owing to repeated declarations that the industry is being overwhelmed by foreigners.^ Britons, particularly in the Innisfail district, complain of injustices and talk is rife of a "showdown" this year. Startling allegations of what is regarded here as a censorship by vested crests of the British sugar growers' easo in sections of the Australian press, have been made. They refer.to .themselves as Britons, not as' Australians, and the intensity of their feeling against the "forcignisation of the North," and "Italy's peaceful penetration," is amazing to the southerner.

One is forced to the realisation that here on the sugar coast of North Queensland; in Australia's wonderland of tropical productivity, the Commonwealth faces its first real

racial problem. Ingham is 0.3 per cent. Italian—but nothing more serious than a Com-munist-led strike of cane-cutters is likely to happen there in June. Lt is a "Young Italy." Tilings are different in the Innisfail area. Here the Australian cane farmer feels 'lie is making his last .stand against being overwhelmed by foreigners. "THE ZERO HOUR" These men are preparing to fight Italian dominance, imagined or real, •and they have set the start of the cane-crushing season, in June, as the "zero-hour." If a section of the Italians—apart from those Italian larmcrs who regard themselves as Australian and will back Australian policy—persist in the alleged bid for control of the South Johnstone Co-operative Mill, "anything may happen." These words are used significantly by leaders of the Australian sugar-growers. "We are determined that ho will mil get away with it," said a prominent Innisfail man, mentioning the name of a so-called Italian "strong man." There- is danger in the way they hate him here. With the tension existing, any display of "Little Italy" sentiment in this district may cause an explosion. Men wero heated as they spoke of Italian children being dressed in sailoi suits of the Italian Navy put torn. Had the celebration of the Italian victory in Abyssinia been held in Innisfail itsell", instead of in Mourilyan, where Italians are strongly predominant.

trouble may have started then. A Commonwealth inquiry, it would appear, is urgently necessary to sift the rights and wrongs of* the italoAustralian position in the Innisfail area and to prevent the possibility of racial rioting. Mention of the trouble that is brewing is certain to be made in the reporl to the Commonwealth following the recent visit of the Queensland Police 'omniissioner, Mr. Carroll, and the Commonwealth Officer on Alien Affairs.

The belief is widely held by British growers that secret provisions exist in the treaty between the Commonwealth and Italy by which Mussolini can .send an increasing number of Italians to the sugar coast each year.