VACANT LANDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 32, 6 August 1936, Page 16

VACANT LANDS

CALL OF OPPORTUNITY

MIGRATION PREDICTION

From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, July 8:

A prediction- that a resumption. of migration would probably begin within the next few months was made by the Marquess of Hartington, Parliamentary Undersecretary for the Dominions, when addressing the Constitutional Club this week. , There-have been several consultations between the Dominions Office and various Australian statesmen-recently. , The Marquess said that in recent years there had been' practically no migration at all. More people had come to live. in England than had gone to settle in the Dominions. "On the other hand," he continued, "we nave the undoubted fact that there are still vast opportunities for the Dominions to increase their population. In this country we have a'very large population, while many of the Dominions are still under-populated. "There are in trid world land-hungry nations—nations with strong, vigorous, virile populations, seeking outlets — and it is a real danger to our own peace and. the peace of the world to have tracts of the earth's surface offering—or appearing to offer—a reward to the land-hungry nation which may feel tempted to seize it. In every Dominion there is: a genuine. desire to see its population increased—and increased by people'1 of British stock. I do not think that for many years to come—perhaps never—shall we see the very large numbers who migrated in the past, moving again. I; regard that as very unlikely, but I think we shall, within the next few' months, see'; some resumption of.migration. ' "We have the goodwill, certainly of the Australian ; Ministers !who have been over here, and I believe that in every part of the Empire, too, there is a real desire to see good people—l lay emphasis upon'that; only good people —from this country moving into various: parts of the Dominions, and taking up a life there. It was not possible to make a greater mistake than to regard. migration as a cure for unemployment. Migration on a useful scale could take place only when there was a real opportunity of making a living and settling down prosperously, overseas." ■ - ■ The ."Morning Post" welcomes Lord Hartington's prediction 'as carrying authority: • — - - "There are," it states, "as Lord Hartington reminds us, 'land-hungry nations of the world—nations with strong, vigorous, virile populations, seeking outlets.' We are not ourselves convinced that the hunger of some of these nations is not of the' kind in which the eyes are; greedier than the stomach. . But there can be no. doubt of their seeking outlets;"arid little doubt that the empty spaces and comparatively undeveloped natural resources of the British Empire offer them a strong temptation. - Any policy that will help to preserve the British character of the Empire against foreign penetration, whether peaceful or otherwise, is welcome; and emigration is the policy most suited to that purpose if we can afford it. Therein, however, lies the much'larger problem of which emigration is a part."