Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1901. GOVERNORO’BRIEN’S CHARGES

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 9 February 1901, Page 2

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1901. GOVERNORO’BRIEN’S CHARGES

The now powerful Australian Commonwealth has taken up the eause of New Zealand in so far as Sir George O’Brien’s charges are concerned, and Mr. Seddon having declared that he does not care who ultimately annexes the Fiji and other groups so long as they do not fall into foreign hands at once puts on one side any AustralianNew Zealand rivalry. With both colonies pressing the matter upon the attention of the Imperial authorities, it is pretty certain Mr. Chamberlain will be forced into position of recalling the Governor of Fiji, who has been guilty of such scandalous, untrue and unpatriotic statements. The English papers have already taken the subject up and are pretty general in their condemnation of Governor O’Brien’s action. Some of the London journals having “ Little England ” ideas, are inclined to plead excuses for Sir George although none go so far as to declare he was right. The London Chronicle says : —Sir George O’Brien

seems to have transgressed the limits of polite diplomacy in telling the Fiji Islanders under his charge that what Zealand wants in annexing the Fiji Islands is to grab the lands belonging to the natives. In rebutting this charge, with very natural heat, Mr. Seddon, the Premier of New Zealand, is happily able to point to the precedent of the Maoris, who are undoubtedly well treated and are in an increasingly prosperous condition. Sir George O’Brien committed himself to the categorical statement that many of the natives of New Zealand have no

land at all, whereas Mr Seddon is able

to point out that forty thousand Maoris own over five million acres of land. This allows 125 acres a head, which is certainly a very fair average of property. We do not altogether hold with the policy of a colony like New Zealand going about annexing any islands it finds lying about the Pacific, and the Governor of the islands threatened has doubtless very natural ground for complaint; but even so, it would be wise for him to conform more strictly to diplomatic methods in makinghis protest.” When we find the Chronicle—anti-im-perialistic—admitting the falsity of the Governor’s charges, we may reckon that Fiji’s Governor will have but few defenders in England, notwithstanding the qualified denunciation of "colonies going about the Pacific annexing.” At the present time the earth hunger is uppermost with the nations of Europe, and if the new born nation of Australia, with New Zealand aiding, does not look after these islands, they will be annexed by Foreign Powers, who will cause no end of trouble in the future. Unions and combines—for mutual support —are the order of the day, and ’twill be a good thing for Australia and New Zealand too when they combine, and taking their proper place as a nation

and yet an integral part of that greater nation of Britain—say to all who institute filibustering expedition in Oceania and South Pacific “Hands off, those lands arc under oiir protection.” If the great Southern section of the British Empire desire to arcide heavy imposts for the maintenance of a great navy and a large standing army it is essential that such declaration should be made at the earliest possible moment.