THE ALIEN SETTLER

New Zealand Listener, Volume 26, Issue 655, 25 January 1952, Page 16

THE ALIEN SETTLER

FROM EUROPE TO NEW ZEALAND: An Account of Our Continental European ote by R. A. Lochore; A. H. and A. Reed, in conjunction with the New Institute of International Affairs; 10/6.

| (Reviewed by

Alan

Mulgan

a book like this. Our alien immigration is as old as our British sovereignty, yet, according to the author and the Under-Sec-retary for Internal Affairs, in his introduction, this is the first published study of our alien groups. Fortunately, after lagging behind other countries, New Zealand has found an exceptionally well qualified investigator. Dr. Lochore knows the subject from both ends. He studied in Europe, travelled widely and learned languages, and after the war -.was for some years Naturalisation Officer with the Department of Internal Affairs, Into 110 pages he has packed a remarkable amount of fact and comment -statistics, analysis of historical origins and characteristics, what aliens do here and think, our attitude to them, and what our policy should be. But the packing is done with such literary skill that one is never bogged or bored. Dr. Lochore has decided opinions, and expresses them with pungency and wit. The record is rather weak on che cultural side, for almost al] that is said is contained in a brief tribute to the 1939-41 refugees, but I am sure this is solely due to lack of spaces. Dr. Lochore knows the value of the human illustration. The start of Italian fishing in Wellington from a sailor who was put ashore with a broken leg and, liking the place, recruited a vessel’s crew one by one from his homeland; the unhappiness of a Greek qualified accountant because he has to keep a fish-shop; the refugee who was taken away to found a new industry in another Dominion because he got no encouragement to do so here-these things are "more impressive than figures. New Zealand has always preferred northern European immigrants te southern, but there has been a swing away from the north, which has made assimilation more difficult. Greeks and Italians do not necessarily wish to be restaurateurs; many would go on the land (as some [talians have done) if they could get it. The largest group of immigrants, says Dr. Lochore, has come from Germany, and (referring to the second war) "our old-settled Germans have a- better war record than many of the alien groups who were supposed to be our allies." However, in his criticism of these other groups, he is sympathetic; part of the responsibility lies with New Zealanders, who have done nothing to assimilate them. His conclusion is that, whether’ we like it or not, we must make room for. people of all sorts, for our own and the general good. Aliens must not be allowed to set up exclusive communities, but it would do us no harm if some day Croatian was spoken as commonly as Maori in the Northland, provided perfect English went with it. But, one may ask, how’ much Maori will be spoken there in fifty years? Those who dislike foreigners on principle should be among the readers of i ZEALAND has needed

this book. Unfortunately, the stronger the xenophobia, the less likely is the victim to read it.