THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, JUNE 24, 1907. MR HORNSBY, M.H.R., AND THE ASIATIC QUESTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8471, 24 June 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, JUNE 24, 1907. MR HORNSBY, M.H.R., AND THE ASIATIC QUESTION.

Every intelligent colonist in this country must realise that unless the British population is very considerably increased, there is a grave danger that New Zealand will not permanently remain "a white man's land." Sir Joseph Ward recently stated in England that New Zealanders were determined to keep the country white, but however patriotic colonials, as a whole, may be in regard to resisting Asiatic immigration it is beyond question that not only do the public generally require to be further educated as to the great danger that threatens Australasia, but, also the question of national defence should be discussed in conjunction with "the yellow peril.!' We are pleased to note that Mr J. T. M. Hornsby, M.H.R., will deliver an address in the Masterton Town Hall, tonight, on the Asiatic question, and we trust that he will be greeted with an audience as large as the importance of his subject demands. Mr Hornsby, as Masterton people know, is a fluent and forcible speaker, and on the Asiatic question he has been most outspoken. It is, by the way, a question in regard to which all our politicians in the near future will have to be candid, though some of them—in order to be quite sure of tne feeling of the country—may wait until the last moment to declare themselves. No doubt, in view of the connection which the Motherland has with several Asiatic powers, anti-Asiatic legislation is a rather delicate matter for "self-governing" colonies to take in hand, and for this reason, —though colonials will require to be firm, vigilant and determined in regard to obtaining their object,the anti-Asiatic League should exercise considerable care in regard to the exact measures that it advocates. We, ourselves, believe that the one great step that is necessary is to absolutely ensure that no more Asiatics shall

be allowed into the coun try. As to the present Asiatic population in this country, even supposing that they are not persuaded to return to their native land, they will be effaced by Nature in a, comparatively, short space of time. Having absolutely prohibited Asiatic immigration the next necessity is to see that New Zealand develops an adequate system of national defence as speedily as possible. Undoubtedly the establishment of such a system means a certain amount of sacrifice on the part of the people—but it is a sorry kind of patriotism that does not patiently, nay, willingly, consent to some selfsacrifice that the country, as a whole, may benefit. New Zealand is a small country, and isolated, and both these circumstances mean a considerable degree of safety for her. If a system of national defence were developed to the extent that it would not be "worth the while" of any Asiatic, or foreign power, to attack us with any other object than that of permanent/or at least temporary subjugation of the country, then the chances are that we should be unmolested. The motto of "defence not defiance" should be observed in our defence system, but every effort, and great efforts, too, should be made to minimise as far as pussible the dangers to which we are at present exposed. As we have said, the British population should be considerably increased—the larger the population the more easy it will Ibe to defend our shores. From every important point of view there is necessity for a larger population. It is the crying need of New Zealand, and it is, to our mind, the paramont duty of the Government to make every effort to encourage European migration to this country.