TO SAVE THE RACE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2785, 1 June 1916, Page 6

TO SAVE THE RACE

A GREAT MISSION

LAND FOR EX-SOLDIERS

SIR RIDER HAGGARD INTERVIEWED

Among the people who experienced a long drawn-out tossing on the Manuka was Sir Rider Haggard, the well-known novelist and litterateur, who is interesting hirnjn ft scheme of land settlement within British oversea Dominions, which he, and many with him, believe to be of vital importance to the preservation of the British Empire in the future. Added to his rare talents as a writer, Sir Eider Haggard is lamed for his 6agacity, foresight, and alertness, and it is doubtful if a more suitable' man could have been selected lor . the mission than he. It was a case of the hour finding the man. "I am visiting the various parts of the Empire," said Sir Rider Haggard to a Dominion reporter yesterday, "as the representative of the Royal Colonial Institute, with the object of ascertaining what the various Dominions ave willing to do in the way of land settlement and employment for the Imperial ex-service man, at the conclusion of the war. It is believed at Home by a great many people that when Hie war ends there will ho a period of general unrest, and possibly all Borts !of industrial complications. Also it is certain -that' a large number of men will find themselves up against the established existence of female competition in the labour market. I believe that in the making of munitions alone there are now some 300,000 women employed, and the number of women who have stepped into men's shoes is enormous. It seems highly improbable that these should be dispossessed, nor does one always wish to dispossess them, for they have been doing their work extremely well. Having once attained. an independence such as they have probably never experienced before, is it likely that they will wish to return to idleness and insignificance? Lessons of the Past. "That is only one aspect of the case, however. Another is that always after a great war, there has been immigration, and there scema to be no reason why what has happened in the past should not happen in the future, especially when the magnitude of the present struggle is considered, and seeing that five. millions of men have been taken from theij.ordinary avocations and plunged into a sea of ba'ttlo. This cannot happen without bringing about mental changes, which are apt to breed restlessness and a desire for : new things. ! \ The Wages Bogey. "A further possible cause of compfica. tion is the fact that wages in England have soared to a point never reached before, and it remains to be seen if it is possible for them to remain at that point. If not, this will again produce unrest. For these reasons it has been suggested that it is highly probable that there will bo - a large outflow of population from the United Kingdom at the conclusion of the war. Always, it must be remembered, this is hypothesis. Such a state of affairs 'produces strange and unexpected results. However, acting on the supposition that these prognostications are correct, it is the .desiro of the Royal Colonial Institute, and an enormous number of peoplo who think with them, that every effort should bo made to retain every English man and woman and their families within tho bounds of the British Empire. To Preserve the Empire. "In the past an uncounted number have been in the habit of emigrating, when they .did emigrate, to, tho United States. The institute does not think that the present is a time in the history of the English race when she should part with her sons and daughters to a foreign country. The dangers ahead are, too. many and varied, and, as some of us think, too pressing to allow of that' being done without peril to the race. At the same time it is not desirable on the p>vt of tho institute to encourage anyone ' to. emigrate, and much less to tempt them to do so. Wo feel that there is a great deal of truth in the arguments that aro advanced by a large number of people that Gteat Britain can scarcely afford to part with more of her population. Tho object to which wo would direct our efforts is not to urge • folk to leave tho ; Home shores, but should they be determined to do 60, to make certain, if possible, that they emigrate to some place under the old flag and not be lost to the Empire. Wanted—Open Doors! "With this object in view, I consented to act ;is honorary representative of the institute/and to travel round the.Empire and find out what doors are open to those who wish to pass through them. 1 have now visited South Africa, and all Australia. In South Africa • I obtained from the British South Africa Chartered .Company . 500,000 acres .of. land in Rho-' desia, with the promise of its future management for the purpose of ex-sol-diers settlements. Also, private offers were received in the Union... Every State in Australia also made handsome promises. I hree of them—Victoria, West Australia, and South Australia—madta general promises; that is to say thev undertake (with the exception of a' specially'.piud subsidy for Australians) to treat British ex-service men as regards land settlement and employment exactly as they finally make up their minds to treat their own. 1 hey propound no scheme fl»V'i "T ent; J", fact,, they have no detailed scheme elaborated. That is :i matter for future consideration by their experts. The other -States made special oflers of land and farms. Tho important point, however, 15 that all are prepared to do their very best towards the' desired end. lam quite certain that the nronusos made'will be kept, and mo?e than kept in the letter and spirit •(J\ h i r fi CelTe< ' , a .. cab!e o''ani to the effect that the result is very satisfactory to the Royal Colonial Institute, showing as it does that Australia is to the importance of these problems, and a .. um £ ot , tlle Empire is prepared to do its share towards their solution.. Now, I ve come to New Zealand, and X ut yowooinfry I know nothing atoll. Whilst I do not know what will happen here, I venture to hope that you mil see the matter in the same light as other States and. do the best you can in your circumstances. I do not say this tor the sake of the Home ex-servico men but I say it for the sake of all the out 1*1? e Empire. lam convinced that to ensure peace and safety in the future they must, above all things have more population. Wealth is all very well, but wealth alone is not the slightest use, and always it is a temptation to others it not strongly guarded from attack. We are learning many lessons in this war, and I imngino that this is one of the most urgent of all.", Sir Rider was asked, as to whether underlying the scheme ' there was any means of training ex-soldiers to make the best use of their opportunities on the land when they came. He replied that that would be the work of the local experts. Thero might bo a systom of training them by employing them on other farms first, and gi'vin"' courses of instruction. He realised how impossiblo it would bo to, plant people from tho crowded cities of the Old Country on to bush sections. That, he agreed would probably drive thc'iii mad through loneliness; thero might, however, be mixed settlements of Homo and colonial people. One prime necessity, ho realised, was means of communication. Finally! Sir Rider stated that we in New Zealand were not to run away with the idea that lie thought tho problem an easy one. It was not. It was, however, of gigantic importance that we should have a |>j.» population—a population, f or preference" reared in tho country from English stock.

Sir Ridor Haggard, who is the guest cf His Excellency Lord Liverpool at Govenimcnt House, will remain in Welliii"ton for a few days, and will leave A upland for Vancouver by the Niagara <m June 13.

■Sir Eider Haggard called upon tho Prime Minister shortly after his arrival from Australia yesterday, and briefly discussed the object of his mission. ' Mr. Massey stated last evening that tliere was nothing to communicate 111 regard to the interview. The matter, he said, would be discussed at greater length in. a, day or two.