AUSTRALIA'S PERIL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 298, 5 September 1918, Page 5

AUSTRALIA'S PERIL

GREAT NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES VALUE OF A MONROE DOCTRINE In the coursc of an'article'in'the "Now York Evening Post" of Juno 14, the Hon. AY. M. Hughes, Primp Minister of tho Coiiimonwwl'th, said: "Australia is a great island. Along its northern and eastern shores, guarding or menacing its coasts, according aB they are held by friends or foe, are-three beitß of islands. There are hundrefe of these islands, some being very email, and their distance from Australia' varies considerably. New Guinea, the largest, is only about 150 miles from Australia. Others • like Fiji,, the Loyalty Islands, the Solomons, are more distant. But none of any importance, is as distant as Honolulu from San Francisco. And in the aggregate the territory in what may bo termed the Australian portion of the islands is very considerable. Perhaps I can hest givo you an idea of the area involved by comparing New Guinea, the largest island, with countries with which l you are familiar. "New Guinea, which before the war was divided into tlwe parts, held by Holland, Germany,' and Australia, is as large as Cuba, the Philippines, and the greater part of Japan all taken together. And this great rich island is ' within a stone's throw of Australia. It is much nearer to Australia than is Tasmania, ono of the States of tho Commonwealth. And studdod about New Guinea are dozens of smaller islands, which stretch out forming part of one of these belts which run parallel with the coast of Australia. AVhut would your attitude ho towards any predatory power than claimed territory so near to your own shores P "Now, the position of Australia is such that it is essential 'to its territorial integrity that it should cither control these islands herself, or that they should he in the hands' of friendly and civilised nations. For they stand in the same relation to Australia as, Bay, lit. Kcmmol does to Ypres, Amiens to Paris, or as Calais and tho Channel ports do to England. Very many of , them are siiitablo for coaling stations,' submarine bases, and other points d'apptii. To allow another nation to control them would he to allow it to control Australia. Calling ourselves a free nation, wo should in effect be mere vassals."