“Japanese Menace”

Newspaper Hysteria in Australia

THE more sensational newspapers of Australia continue to exhibit periodical “scares,” concerning the presence of Japanese sampans in Northern Australian waters. The thing is a type of hysteria— the sort of journalistic ignorance and reck lessness which create irritation between nations'and lead to war.

It is more than two years now since the occasional appearance of Japanese sam pans was first reported among some of the islands of New Guinea and the Solomons.

A good deal of attention was given to these incidents by the Pacific Islands Monthly —not so much because the vessels were Japanese, but because they were so obviously engaged in poaching upon the beds of shell which are part of the natural resources of those islands and which —so long as they are properly protected and net killed by removal of young shell —are a source of livelihood to many of the resi dents.

There has been little poaching reported since an alert District Officer in New Guinea succeeded in arresting and severely punishing the crew of a Japanese sampan that had been caught red-handed in the Admiralty Islands.

The Japanese, however, appear to have turned their attention to other deep-sea products and large numbers of their boats —apparently from their Mandated Terri tory, from the Bonins, and maybe from Japan itself —have appeared in the waters southwards of New Guinea and Papua, seeking trepang, pearl-shell, etc.

Japanese vessels have a perfect right to cruise in these seas. It is international law that the various territories have rights over the waters only within three miles of their shores; but beyond that is “no man’s land,” open to the people of every nation.

There is little, if any, evidence that the Japanese have trespassed within the three-miles limit. They have gone ashore in places to get fresh water and, probably, to clean their vessels and equipment, but they appear to have behaved themselves quite properly.

Japanese commerce and enterprise are pushing out all over the Pacific —a natural thing, considering the vigour and virility of the Japanese race. Various silly news papers indulge in periodical bouts of hys terics concerning the “Japanese menace.”

Of course, there is a Japanese menace.

Also there is a German menace and an Italian menace. There always will be a menace while there are Great Powers which lack territory for their rapidly in creasing populations and their rapidly ex panding industries. Inevitably, the Japan ese will come knocking at the doors of empty and undeveloped countries.

But the Japanese, so far, have shown no unfriendliness and no aggressiveness to wards British countries in the Pacific. On the contrary they have displayed what probably is a sincere feeling to live on terms of peace and harmony with their Pacific neighbours. The Japanese are a clever, long-visioned people and they want no international complications which would interfere with the enormous task they have undertaken in Northern and Central China, and which would bring them into conflict with the powerful Anglo-Saxon countries which are their Pacific neigh bours in North America and Australasia.

The Laperouse, which arrived in Vila, New Hebrides, from Indochine on De cember 5, brought 258 indentured Ton kinese labourers. The majority will be drafted for plantation work on Santo Island.