Turned Down

Jewish Colony Flan for New Guinea

mHE Australian Prime Minister an nounced in February that hpnpncp 'f posed to any gr o Up settlement plan for alien migrants, it had refused to con sider the suggestion that the plateau country, on the mainland of New Guinea should be used for the establishment ?. a Jewish colony. A similar sugges tlon - in relation to Western Australia, was rejected by the Government for the same reason.

As the Lyons Government probably is the most visionless administration that ever has held office in Canberra it ap pears useless to pursue this subject fu?-

I'* 1 ® I ’* But> for the information of many intelligent people who displayed an in terest in the plan to place a large col ony of Central European refugees on the central tablelands of New Guinea it may be pointed out that this is a region very suitable for white settlement; that it is virgin country and therefore, may be organised as a new colony without interfering with established interests; that Jewish societies interested in the plan were prepared—provided that an expert survey justified the expenditure to make available any sum up to £15,000 000 to assist the settlement; that Australia very urgently needs development and settlement in New Guinea, if her hold upon that country is to be confirmed in the future; and that the Australian Gov ernment is not apparently capable of or ganising colonies in Australia itself let alone in New Guinea.

There may be good reason for pre venting the establishment of alien Euro pean communities in Australia, but that cannot possibly apply to New Guinea. It is much better to have a European popu lation there, established under conditions which will ensure that the next gener ation will be taught the English language only, rather than that the country should be occupied by Japanese.