THE FUTURE OF THE PACIFIC

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2962, 28 December 1916, Page 3

THE FUTURE OF THE PACIFIC

AN INFORMATIVE SURVEY

PROBLEMS OF TO-MORROW

lho war is making us see many things in a new light, and it may be we in Australia aro prepared to take our position in tho Pacific witn a greater sense of responsibility than we have exhibited in the past (writes Professor 11. F. Irvine in the Sydney "Sunday Sun"). A certain youthful tendency to brag that' has been characteristic of us, a certain provincial narrowness and superiority, and a consequent rudeness to other peoples are no longer befitting a nation that is entitled to inscribo "Anzac" on its banners. The turbulent power of Germany has been eliminated from the Pacific, but Bhe will, no doubt, manoeuvre again to regain something of what sho has lost, n \-r> 316 0n tnree ways open to her: i. ral^G penetration, - backed up by all the organisation of a possibly unified central Europe; (2) absorption j /ol an< * Dutch East Indies; and (3) alliance with some Pacific Power to enable her to take revenge for the thwarting of her ambitions. Each contains elements of insecurity and menace.

■ Two-thirds: of the human race are assembled m Jaiids in or adjoining the I- °: Nearly we our population of 5,000,000, are only a drop in this vast ocean of human beings. Where Uuna and Japan are concerned our inarity lias played tricks with our sanity ot judgment. No country, not even America has riches or more varied resources of soil and minerals than China. , o country has so great a mass of human energy. No country has peoplo more industrious, more disciplined to J?' 1 ' m ° re skilful in long-established • Rapidly, also, China is adopting our machino methods, and when her railways are extended China will become the greatest industrial hive on the globe. Japan, strategically tlio Britain of contmental Asia, has risen in the short period of two generations to he a great commercial, military, and naval Power, W lien intercourse "was forced upon her oy too guns of foreign navies her statesmen realised that safety lay in one direction--the assimilation of Western science and technical culture. Japan aspires to be manufacturer and middleman of the Orient. Like Eastern Unna, Japan is "man stifled," and seeks outlets for her surplus millions, and she is moro concerned about keeping them true to the flag than is China. Horca and Manchuria will take many; a stream of migration has already set towards the western countries of South America; and the Marshall Islands, captured! in the present war,' hre rapidly becoming Japanised.' Thero are not a few who profess to see in Japan the Germany of the Pacific. I do not' bettßV? t l lere is any foundation for this. Undoubtedly, Japan is a great naval and military Power—she had to be in order to survive. Undoubtedly, also, the Japanese are a proud and virile nation. They resent insults. They have a flaming yet deliberate patriotism of a quality the majority of tho Western nations have lost or never had. When responsible Japanese statesmen think of Asia they are'- thinking mainly of China, whose -undeveloped resources, combined with a, weak political and military organisation, are a danger to the peace of the Orient. Japan, it is pretty clear, has no ambition to undertake tlio- coi|quest of -China—probably an ihipossiblo task—but sho will insist that China, bo no. longer regarded as fair spoil for. European concessionhunters and'political intriguers. Her policy amounts to a Monroe doctrine and an "open dbor" for China. Apparently sho herself will claim no special privileges. Thus limited hor policy is not' one to which cither the United States or tho British Empiro can take exception. I

Russia straddles two continent*;, from the Baltic to the Pacific. Taking it as a whole, the Russian Empire has enor■mous resources. Tho population, increasing now at tho rate of 3,000,000 a year, will in 25 years be 250,000,000. Can it bo doubted that there is a great future in store for Russia, and that sho will liavo no small {share in the future of tho Pacific?

Considering mass and density of population, and present and potential powor, Australia taken alono cannot hope to be more than a small factor in tho future in tho Pacific. Her population grows 6lowly; tho attitude of many of her people is not friendly even to the immigration of Europeans, and is uncompromisingly hostile to tho admission of any Oriental races. Our huge territory, rich in resources, cannot by any process of mental juggling be said to bo effectively occupied. Nor is our, civilisation marked by any special superiorities likely to counter-bal-ance these weaknesses. Wo have neither tho energy, enterprise, • and optimism of America, nor the single-heart-od patriotism and swift adaptivenoss of Japan, nor tho untiring industry, the steady persistence of China.

Lot mo endeavour to sum up tho conclusions to which this study has led. Australia and Canada cannot stand alone in the Pacific. Tho maintenance of their integrity and social ideals requires the full backing of a reorganised British Empire. Both of these, but particularly Australasia, has a vital interest in India and other Eastern dependencies. Having that interest, it follows that they ought to havo a voice in their control. If, as many-of-us hope, a truly Imperial Parliament is created- in the near future,. ono of its functions will be to. take joint responsibility for these dependences. But our position involves more than tho; recognition of our rights and obligations. Wo must find somo way of tho chronic industrial warfare and social anarchy that are making us tho laughing stock of thq world, and aro full of danger for tho future. Can it bo that our boasted "social laboratory" is a failure? Whether it is or not, our system does not work. So far from being Socialists, wo aro a race of stiff-necked, dogmatic individualists, or rather anarchists. What is tho cause of this folly and failure P Of ono thing we may be sure, it is not tho fault of ono class only. A restless, turbulent,- anarchic working class does not come into existence and keep on existing unless there are corresponding defects elsewhere.

This country must bo effectively occupied. Sufficient .man-power is essential, not only to enable lis to hold it, but. to justify morally tho holding of it for ourselves. Australia could support 50.000,000 as easily and comfortably as it now supports 5,000,000. More easily, in fact, for with 50,000,000 our industries can bo organised on a scalo and with a degree of efficiency impossible to a. small population. For each man Australia can. produce tho other countries of tho Pacific can produce 240 for each million, 240,000,000. we have ono man and a Boy to each square mile. China and Japan have at least 300 to tho square mile. Surely it is timo we took these facts to heart. Surely it is time we put childish squabbling aside and took up our task with a new seriousness and unity of purpose.