JAPS IN AUSTRALIA.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 April 1923, Page 3

JAPS IN AUSTRALIA.

THURSDAY ISLAND TROUBLE. SYDNEY. March 21. Tlicf position at Thursday Island, where serious Japanese labour troubles occurred recently, is stated to lie delicate from an international point oi vit ,v. The position has been described by on, .leading authority as a “powder magazine covered with brown paper." An analysis of tne facts in the liricf messages published does not indicate* violence* oil the part of the Japanese strikers gn liter than Australia lias beau accustomed to in other part-, of the ( oramonwealtli. ’ihe principal point is that what violence there was exercised by tiie Nationals ol another country who are in Australia on sufferance, but who. owing to the inertia of the authorities. and the fact that they have become a majority in a weakly policed, isolated Australian community, have grown to be the true maker- of the law. The trouble is not bv any means new. since 191 fi when there was trouble the Federal authorities have realised that tliert* might Ik* serious nggressio ll on the part of the iiuhMturotl Japanese la--I,Olivers, and that the military and police could he easily outnumbered, and overpowered in time of trouble. \part from tiie 191*’ incident, when tiie Queensland Government was forced, through representations made to the Federal authorities at the instance of Japan, to withdraw the permit system for Japanese in the -ugar fields, t. * hi'torv of the recent disturbance really Imran' in 1920. when it was reported that the Japanese indentured workers were showing a disposition to resent the employment of Papuans and Australian natives in tiict industry to such a decree that these indigenous races were "actually almost wholly, withdrawn from the industry, with the full knowledge and sanction of tlio Commonwealth Government. The general feeling among those m the north is that the Commonwealth has so long baen weak or indifferent that even now it will require the

greatest tact to right tiie situation with local and international and that every moment that it is left to develop without supervision will breed bad temper. The garrison at Thursday Island is said to he so small that it is useless for any emergency of this kind. In this the Minister for Defence has partlyagreed, and he has promised Cabinet consideration of the matter,