The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, October 8, 1908. THE AMERICAN FLEET’S VOYAGE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 438, 8 October 1908, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, October 8, 1908. THE AMERICAN FLEET’S VOYAGE.

The American papers contain various expressions of opinion regarding the significance of New Zealand’s warm reception to the United States fleet. The New York Herald attaches “considerable political importance ” to the welcome by the British colonists, and the New York Sun believes that the under-lying motive of the Ne\V Zealanders “is a sense of self-preservation which recognises in the United States an ally and protector in the possible contingency of a struggle between the white race and the yellow race for the mastery of the Pacific.” The Springfield Republican, emphasising the same phase on the question, says:—“Facing the teeming Orient almost at arm’s length, a mere handful of white men confronting uncounted millions of Asiatics, the Australians experience a feeling of isolation which makes them crave any evidence whatever of outside support. It is this feeling hitherto that has formed the strongest link between the South Sea Commonwealths and the British Empire. Having seized upon a vast territory which they have scarcely begun to populate, and which the Asiatics from

China, Japan, and India, could quickly over-run with their surplus inhabitants if the doors were not shut against them, the white inhabitants of British Oceania have witnessed the development of America’s Oriental immigration with a lively sense that this great issue of the future racial mastery of the Pacific would necessarily make America and A ustralasia the closest friends. Common interests, more especially if they are also vital interests furnish the strongest ties between States, and the Oriental coolie question brings America and the South Sea Commonwealths into substantial unity in the politics of the Pacific is undoubtedly the conviction of every white man in New Zealand and Australia today.” The Republican pauses, however, to warn the Australasians that they may ‘ ‘ easily overdo their welcome to the American fleet,” thus bringing about regrettable diplomatic misunderstandings. And the New Orleans Picayune, arguing to the same purpose, remarks ; “ While the warmth ot the reception in Australia is very gratifying to the American people and to the authorities at Washington, there is some fear that a political .significance may be given to the visit which is not desired. There exists a strong anti-Japanese feeling in Australia owing to the efforts to colonise many Japanese coolies in the Commonwealth. The feeling is very much the same as has existed, on our own Pacific coast. There is some fear that the warmth of the reception accorded to the fleet will be coupled with a fancied hostile pur - pose toward Japan in the presence of so large a fleet in the Pacific. Whatever may have been the original motive for sending the fleet on a world tour, it is perfectly certain that its present purpose is in no way hostile to Japan or designed to be a menace to that country. In fact, aft -r leaving Australia the next foreign country to be visited will be Japan itself, which makes it peculiarly desirable that nothing should occur during the fleet’s stay in Australia which might be calculated to wound the susceptibilities of the Japanese.”