THE SHADOW IN THE NORTH OF AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 15 June 1907, Page 4

THE SHADOW IN THE NORTH OF AUSTRALIA.

The figures quoted by Mr. .1. 11. Cardew, the retiring chairman of the engineering section of the Koyal Society, in an address at Sydney last week,strikingly reveal Australia's danger by reason of her geographical isolation anil \wuit oi population. Illustrating bv a diagram the density, or rather the want of density. of population of Australia, the lollowing startling comparisons (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph) were made by Mr. ('ardew: Australia, which comprised : ,|,„nt three millions of square miles, had a population of less than live millions, increasing very slowly, .lapan was about

eighteenth of the size of Australia, and contained foii.v-six millions of people, increasing at the rate of about hall a million per annum, and was only sixteen days' steam from Australia: India I proper was about half the size of Australia. and contained llnve hundred millions of people, increasing at the rate ol one million per annum, and w as only 11 days steaming from Australia; China proper was about half the size of Australia, contained four hundred millions of peo-

nlv increa-ing at the rate of more tin

one miliioii per annum, and was only 1-1 d;i v >' steaming from Australia; -lava was about one-sixteenth the size of Australia, contained thirty millions o! inhabitants, increasing at a rate mn times greater than the Australian population, and was only four days' steaming from our shores. It was demonstrated that 77' v (i!»l,ilini people, or half the population ot tl,y whole worid. lived in the four continents last mentioned, on a total area verv little greater than the continent ol Aif-dralia, and all within a few days' sailing of our unoccupied Icrrilory.These countries had increased their aggregate population by about two millions. It was clear that tliev could not hold their vast area* of land in ,mi unoccupied and undeveloped slate for an indefinite period, and unless they could induce the overflow of Kuropean population to fill their waste pkices.the ideal of white Australia was impossible of achievement and they were in a danger of being submerged by an overliow of alien peoples.