THE POPULATING OF THE EXPIRE.
[To VIZ EDITOR OF TEL "SIMCT/TOlej Brn,—The question of pOpulating the vast empty spates of the Empire is perhaps the gravest problem which the Hesse and Dominions statesmen have to -face. It is absolutely certain that there must be a limit to the number of emigrants whom the Mother Country can spare, and I am inclined to believe that that limit has about been reached. Any exodus of over 300,000 persons a year would, accompanied by a further fall in the birth-rate, mean stagnation ,and disaster for Great Britain. And yet. 300,000 emigrants diatributed among the Overseas Dominienawould not satisfy the require- ments of. the daughter States. Australia in particular is in most bitter need of a huge increase in population. Her mieinium immigration should be at least 250,000 per itIMUIla eo that_the.garrison of the Commonwealth may be reinforced as quickly as possible. Not more than half of these could or should be obtained from the British -Isles, and the question arises, " From what other white races can the remainder be drawn?" It- is desirable that the non-British immigrants should come from countries where people are most nearly akin to the Anglo-Saxon race. In the forefront I place the Dutch. They are a race with splendid qualities, and a supply of agriculturists could easily be obtained in Holland. Then, again, the Dutch Government is almost alone among the European Governments in not •'opposing the emigra- tion of its subjects if it knows that they are going to a country where they will be - well received and have the opportunity of prospering. I am of opinion that at least 15,000 Dutch and Flemish persons might be induced to come annually to Australia. Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark are also fields for exploitation, though, in these countries the- Governments would be found placing obstacles la the way of any emigration propaganda. Nevertheless,-it is probable that.20,000 immigrants might be obtained from them, and another 5,000 from Germany, in spite of the strenuous opposition. of the German authorities.. There are also indications that a -large number of farmers from the western districts of the United States .might-be persuaded. te Choose Australia, instead of Canada as a field for their meter, prime. . But it must not be forgotten that at least one-third,of the Anstralian 'continent lies' within' the tropics. Many in Australia deliberately gait their eyes to this fact, because they claim that the Commonwealth must be purely-.Attlo-Saxon or at least Northern European. To them any inhabitant of Southern Europe is " tidago," an inferior sort' Of being who Would be alMost as objectionable as-an Australian -citizen as an Asiatic. Bet the feet remains that if tropical Australia is-to be adequately colonized this silly prejudicewill: have to be over Conte. From Spain; Italy, Greece, and Malta quite desirable immigrants can be selected and converted quickly into good Australian and British citizens: If 50;000 immigrants of' these nationalities were brought into tropical' Australia every year, the danger which at pretient threatens from " ineffective.
occapation " would soon disappear. I have incurred much odium in Australia by- advoCating the necessity for a certain proportion of our immigrants to come from sub-tropical countries, and have been charged with being- disloyal to the Mother Country' and the Empire. But I reply that my loyalty to the Mother Country is of a far' more reasonable quality than that of the short-sighted person who, while proclaiming that he wishes to keep Australia solely for the British, would bleed the British Isles white by attracting away the best of their-population. The Commonwealth; with its four and a half million people, who are practically all of pure Anglo-Saxon origin, could easily absorb and assimilate- a hundred' thousand immigrants of non-British race every- year. If it refuses to do this it will probably have to attempt' the digestion of hundreds of thousands of Mongolians in the not far distant future—a process which will end in a " YelloW Australia" instead of a White Australia, -which is the cherished ideal of this community. Everyone who 'settles in Australia becomes an Imperialist, if only from the selfish motive that the -Imperial connexion- is a matter of life and death to the Commonwealth. The dullest can _see that Australia could not stand alone for a day.—I am, Sir, &c., [The Italians are ideal immigrants for warm countries. We should like-to see the Northern races named by our corre- spondent helping to fill up Australia, but we cannot agree to the idea that We shall be bled white if the tide of emigration flows stronger. We 'have still a considerable surplus of popelation, and all of it should go over-sea, for here we are "full up." That our best go and our worst stay behind is trot a tree statement. The proportion of good to bad in those that- go is about the same as in those that remain behind. If- we may dare to say it, Australia's quickest road to a larger population is the adoption of Free Trade. We do not expect Australians to agree, but' it is none the less true.-En. Spectator.]
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