THE JUGO-SLAV PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 214, 4 June 1919, Page 7

THE JUGO-SLAV PROBLEM

Sir,—This problem is so little understood anywhere outside the gumfiolds that I ask permission to outline it to your readers. The gum lands belong to the northern province. The seas washing their long coastlines arc equal in loveliness to the Mediterranean, and the climate is healthy and beautiful beyond description. They are generally referred to as poor lands. This is only true in the sense that a rich man is poor who lias just been violently robbed. They have already yielded 20 millions pounds/ worth of gum, The capital required was merely the price of a spado and the strength to wield it. You will naturally suppose that some return was made to a Foil so generous and accessible as this, but — lor the past 30 years or so Auckland has been subjected to the incursions or small hordes of aliens, who, sinco they came from Austria, were naturally called Austrians. They did not corao as settlers. Just as the Chinese came in the early days to exploit the goldfields nnd return to China, so these men came (o plunder the jfumfiolds and send or return with the spoil to Austria. That is how the proportion of the 20 millions that should have been returned to tho soil in the form of fertilisers, fruit trees, roads, buildings, etc., went instead lo assist in the making of the Skoda gu.ns that battered down the Belgian forts at the outeet of war, and continued to kill our British kinsmen' on the Italian and Balkan fronts right to the end of it. That is how wealth that should have assisted to make our far north the most beautiful and productive province in tho Dominion went instead to spread desolation in Belgium, Italy, Serbia, France, and Rumania. My aim, however, is uot to excite tears over spilt milk, but to u.rgo the Government to solder up the hole from which the milk has been, leaking all these years. JN'ever were means to do so more 'conveniently within reaoh of any Government, Let the conduct of all aliens—whether neutral, friendly, or enemy—during the war be applied as a test of their claims of British citizenship, aud, if necessary, let ail Act 'be passed with provision to revoke tho naturalisation papers of all those who have aot unequivocally risen to their obligations, and to deport them at the earliest available moment. The application of such a simple measure will save the north from further devastation and effectively_6olve'' the problem of the JugoSlav. With the outbreak of hostilities most of the men previously known as Austriaus made themselves known as Jugo-Slnvs, and-affirmed their devotion to our cause and their readiness to serve our Government in any capacity. .On the strength of this promise they were permitted to remain on the gumfields while our own men were called away lo the war. Now, 1 hold that to err through generous faith rather than act on suspicion is to the honour both of ou,r countrymen and our Government, but what happened? When these Jugo-Slavs were jnvited to register for the public works the Government Commissioner soon had to complain of the wholesale effort to evado tlie service which they had so "enthusiastically" promised to render. Many of the noisiest lip-loyalists had to bo interned—after three and a half years fling—because of their "open hostility," while those who, after great expense and. difficulty,' were iinally got to the public works, have demonstrated by the .public works have demonstrated by etc., how determined they are to make no sacrifice for the land and people who have treated them so generously. You have not space for the terrific bill that could be brought against these people-*-a bill confirmed by such responsible ipen as the Alien Commissioner, the Commissioner of Lands (for the northern province), various magistrates, and the Attor-ney-General, but may I ask a few important question??. .. ■ ■ . '

1. Did the i>o Jugo-Slavs, of whom New Zealand was relieved the other day at our expense, include those men who, eince the outbreak or war, had to be interned because of tlieir open hostility 'i 2. In normal times, when the wny was clear, wJiat percentage of tho Jugo-Salvs sent for their wives and families to settle in JJew Zealand?

3. Would the figures justify our accepting the statement that the only reason these SO are leaving now is; because war conditions prevent them bringing their i'amilios to .New Zealand?

i. Since the first inrush of Jugo-Slavs what percentage of them have uiarrioil and- become genuine settlers in the Dominion }.

5. What proportion, on the other baud, have used .New Zealand merely as a temporary hunting-ground? f>. How do they compare in these respects .with other alien peoples who have entered the Dominion f

T. Has not their work on the gumfields been almost entirely destructive of the permanent interests of New Zealand and beneiioial only to Austria? -'These eevea. questions are for the Government to consider; the following are for the Jngo-Slav Committee in Auckland: —

\. When foreigners are granted- tho rights of British natjonnlity are we not justified in expecting theiii to acquire our language, customs, national viewpoint—in short, to become assimilated as stoon as : possible, so that their -ohildreji, at least, shall be left in no doubt as to their own nationality ? 2. That being so, why are the JugoSlavs so bent on preserving dual nationality, instefld of merging th'emsalves, like other Europeans, in our own population"?

• B.' With America's experience to warn us, should we be justified in encouraging a race of New Zealand hyphenates? +. Whon a Jugo-Slav takes out nationalisation papers is it his object to become a permanent citizen and shoulder his responsibilities, or is it merely to enjoy a bird-of-passngo (and proy) flight' over the Crown lands of the north?

5. Docs not the small number of ,TngoSluvs who went to tho front from New Zealand reveal that a proportionate effort on our part would have meant, the dispatch from-the Dominion of a contingent scarcely exceeding tho actual number of our dead?

fi. Does not tho much-ndvertised ,£IOOO contributed to tho war funds prove, when examined, that the Jugo-Slavs in New Zealand—mostly strong, single, and high wage-earners—have been sacrificing themselves during the four years of win , at the consuming rate of nearly (not quite) three-farthings per week por man? 7. May not that be talwn ns u true estimate and measure of their prncticnl devotion to tho Allied cause?

These few questions I offer to ths .Tußo-Slav Committee to begin with. They must not, however, presume lo speak for Jugo-Slavia. Only those few brave men may do so who fought with the New Zcalandcrs at the front.

In concliwion, Sir, I submit that never again must the rights of British citizenship be flung like cheap grain to wlmlevcr doubtful bird-of-possnge cares to peck nt and abuse them. For while we continue to treat these sacred rights ,i n iiiiMi mci'clinndise, i!o we not prof'i"» tli" memcyy of. our dead whoso hallowed sacrifice assureiTfljem to usi . Do we not dishonour ourselves mid offer daily insult to the thousands of broken niuh who move among us—blind, limbless, fevoi'-rnckcd, mill ncrvc-?lm(tprc(l ? In the ■ interests of our country—moral, racial, and economic—l ask you to publish this letter, mid I express the Jiope that Tiik Dominion nnd other influential papers throughout New Zealand will dis. cuss the (|ucstioii in their leadiiig columns. Surely it is relevant nt this hour wlion ko find a few sclf-interosied persons 1n fro uorEli <:!ain»iirjn» for tlin liViPnition of the Jugo-Slnvs from the public works in order, nnpnrently, lo TOuinete in thn labour warket iiiih the hundreds of returned soldiers who caiinjt find employment. That is the way to yiolcnco and anarchy.—l urn. etc,

BLACK WATCH. I The questions in the foregoing letter were submitted to Sir Francis Bell, the Minister who hne had most to do with the administration of the legislation dcnlin,? with Juzo-Slarfl in New Zealand Sir Francis Bell said that he could answer only question 3, and he

answered tliat question in the negative. He said that he did not think it would be correct lo eta to that tho reason eet forth was tho reason why this number of Jugo-Slavs wero going home, because the Government was repatriating only those who desired lo lie repatriated. Tlie men wero leaving because they wishful to leave. Ho did not know what reason:; they had for within); to leave. Rotei-miy to the general character of the Idler, he said: —"Tho Jugo-Slavs, so far as I know, have, with soruo oxcoptions, been a hardworking, industrious population in the north. Many of them did desiro 1o p to the war, to light on the side of tlu> Allies, but they were eubjects of an enemy country, and this could not lie permitted. Since the war most of them have strongly objected to the compulsory service on public works which hns been' imposed on them, but the reason for their objection has been that they could obtain private employment at higher wages. Some of the .lugo-Slavs havo proved themselves both dangerous and olfonsive, but it is quit© incorrect to say that this description is applicable iii auy sense to the great majority of them. A Koynl Cummissiou reported since the war boxan on tho question of whether thoso men wore a dengerous clement of (he population, and tho finding of the Commiwion was chat thoy were not."7