The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-10-07
New World Power Rising In The Southern Pacific
Australia,
 New Zealand Show Strength
By PETER EDISON Editor, NEA SerVicel

 new world power is taking shape down here in the southern Pacific.
 Heretofore, the world has con- sidered that there were only two main powers who would determine the future of the Pacific c-Japan and the United States. The Netherlands, with their rich colonies in the East Indies, and England with a base in Singapore and many Australasian island possessions, have of course had big fingers in the important Pacific pie, but their interests lay more at home and they could not be considered flrst-class Pacific powers.
 The new world power forming here will be built around New Zealand and Australia.
 Big sprawling continent that 1t is -big enough to take all of Europe and leave space for more-Austra- lia's role has in the past been largely that of remote colony supplying pri- mary raw materials to the mother country, always spoken of reverently as Home"
 This was true even in the first World war, for in that war the Med- iterranean trade routes were kept open and sea-borne commerce with England was no great problem.
 The present war, however; has changed the situation. The Medi- terranean is closed Conveys must be formed for the protection of steamships, and cargo vessels laden with wool or wheat or meats or metals now must take from six to ten weeks for the voyage from Syd- ney to London. And as result, Aus tralia and New Zealand are begin ming to feel new power, to feel the demand that they be strong enough to look after their own interests in case of trouble in the Pacific. INDUSTRY
 BUILDS
 It may take years for Australia and New Zealand to find this new place under the Pacific sun. But the first signs of growing strength are already apparent.
 No longer are these countries mere sheep herders to the world. They are building new industries to manufac- ture all the articles they need for modern life.
 They have steel mills and airplane manufactures and shipyards and automobile assembly plants and farm implement makers and knitting mills and packing houses and food process ing plants and munitions works and all the other complex industries necessary to make nation self sufficient.
 The war efforts of Australia and New Zealand show their ability to finance their own show, to furnish not only recruits for armies abroad, but to equip these men and to keep them supplied while in the field, without help from home.
 The people of these countries have developed a way of life which is their own-another sure sign of growing nations consciousness which makes a world power. While they have borrowed freely from England and America in determ- ming their form of government, they have added something on to their borrowing to make the final result distinctly native.
 SHY ON
 MAN POWER
 Australia is feeling her way in world diplomacy, too She has ex- changed ministers with the United States and is soon exchanging min- isters with Japan. Having relied on England for her diplomatic repre- sentation in times past, she has no trained personnel to represent her elsewhere, but as she learns the game and develops leaders in foreign affairs, she may be counted on to send her ambassadors to China or the Netherlands East Indies or other nations within her sphere of influence.
 With population of only 7,000,- GOO, Australia today may be weak in man power to assume the role of world leader. But she has the land and she has the determina- ton to build up her population by carefully sele cted immigration schemes and weld her people into a nation with individual character iStics.
 Both Australia and New Zealand are now brought closer to the Unit ed States and the rest of the world by new links of transportation and communication. Melbourne is only 10 days from London, by air routes across America. You can get a radio telephone call through from Earth est Australia to New York with no