Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-06-15
A YELLOW PERIL IN AUSTRALIA.
Its Vast Unoccupicd Tract Might Be
Taken Up by Asiatics.

The greatest danger to Australia
and one of the greatest dangers to the
British empire, lies in the vast unoc-
cupied northern territory of Austria
liza. In the two words of the kaiser S
famous phrase, the danger is the yell
low peril.
Here is a territory of 523 500 square
miles, ~ times the size OF France,
with a seaboard OF 1910 miles, several
splendid harbors and series of nav
igable rivers. It is imperfeetly ex-
plored. but 49,, 100 square miles are
classified as Indifferent though con-
tanning mining possibilities; $4,000
square miles contain patches of good
pastoral land with uncertain rainfall;
81 900 square miles are good pastoral
country, and another $4,000 are first
class. both subject to intermittent
tropical rain; 100000 square miles are
essentially tropical, with rainfall to
correspond.
in 1908 the white population of this
great territory was 1851, of whom SIT
We're male adults. In q years the
white male adult population increased
by q, at the rate of just one white
man a year. In 1910 the white popu-
lation was said to be stationary.
The article holds out no very com
forting prospect as to avoiding the
danger. The writer III one passage
says:
Il do not believe that any white
race will ever people northern Austria
liza and rear hardy, vigorous sons able
to fight for their lives. as they would
certainly have to do at some time or
other The lands of the monsoons are
eternally set apart for the colored
races.
81 have lived many years in the
tropics and have seen the white races
| in Several tropical countries, and
deeply though 1 sympathize with the
! policy Of a white Australian it is my
! unalterable conviction that the north
! can never be developed and held by
| whites. The pale, drawn faces of the
| women of the coastal districts OF
| northern Queensland are surer testi-
| mony than all arguments"
! Yet he urges the commonwealth to
| pursue the policy adopted last year, &c
| hasten on the North to South railway
| and adhere to its decision to exclude
| colored labor.
The admission of colored labor. OF
any terms. he argues. must prove ia.
tai, for it must mean eventual sub.
| mergence. Indentured labor from In
| dia is ruled out for the government o
of India has decided that it will NJ
longer permit the recruiting of coolie!
in India, unless the laborers are al
lowed to receive the rights of citizen
ship at the expira ton of their linden
lures. should they desire to remain il
the land of their adoption
If the Indian coolie were allowed t
remain. submergenee would follow /
he came in great enough numbers. A;
a matter Of fact, India has not enough
surplus adult population properly L
COLOMBO the northern territory ant
there is, moreover, the undeniable fac
that the Indian coolie always gets gu
of field work as soon as he can.
Mr.. Gascoyne is very convincing il
| his argument that If this territory Il
to be colonized by colored labor, ther,
is nothing for it but the yellow men
Once this is admitted he maintain
that the game is up. Experience ha
proved that once admitted on a larg,
scale the yellow man cannot be re-
stricted to one area.
Even assuming that Chinese labor.
ers could today be recruited on the in,
denture system, and that they coulC
| be kept within a certain area, on,
thing must follow at once-the Japan
csc must also be admitted, for the
door could not be opened to China anC
| slammed in the face of Japan
For a time ali might be well, but
in the future" says Mr.. Gascoyne
the white races are destined to be-
| come acquainted with a very different
| type of Chinese and japanese from
| those they have hitherto encountered
| Should China and Japan ever take vi
| the cause of swarm of their people
| in northern Australia there will be al
| end-not the dream of a white Aus
tralia. for that will have vanished al.
ready-but of the dream of careful
| separation of the white and colored
populations of Australia.
Il am conjuring up no horrifc Wis
ion, | am simply stating what must
| Inevitably happen if northern Aus
| tralia is eoloniZed by yellow men"
Long before so years are over, it Is
pointed out China will have a pow
erfu army and navy. The two yellow
| empires will want to know why theil
| brethren in northern Australia are
| subjected to disabilities. They vii
have the power to make themselves
| heard and will not be denied
Experience has proved that Euro
peans cannot stand field work in trep-
zeal countries. Langdon Parsons, fol
three years responsible minister of the
northern territory and nearly six
years it's government resident 'has
been forced to the conclusion that the
| only alternative is the retention of q
| vast area of arabic land which Aus
| tralans cannot cultivate themselves
| and will not allow others to cultivate
| utilization of land is the strong
est and best title to rightful owner
ship. 1t is the only justification for d
| white race to retain the tropical area
| of Australia to the exclusion of Asia
| tics from wide outlet for theiI
| crowded and often starving popula-
| items. Australia geographically be-
longs TO them. for Australasia is Souti