CORRESPONDENCE
A LETTER FROM AUSTRALIA [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—It can scarcely be a coincidence that within the last eighteen months we have had in Australia five visits of more than usual importance from four great Powers. Perhaps recognition is spreading abroad that the place of this country is to be estimated not by its present or its past, but by its future.
From " Home " we have had the Special Service Squadron and the Empire Press Union—though the latter was also from other parts of the Empire. The delegates saw here a good season and a perfect climate, great prosperity and happiness, and much hard work in progress. They also saw senseless and venomous industrial strife and an unusually dirty election campaign ; and were greeted by the civic head of a great city with a thinly-veiled hostility to British immigration. Their visit was short, and some of their subsequent pronouncements haVe been justly criticized as superficial and ill-informed. But the majority impressed those who came to know them as men of culture, ability, and public spirit, and of none was this more true than of their leader, Lord Burnham. We are glad to let such men judge us as they find us.
Our relations with the American Fleet, both official and otherwise, could not have been better, but we have made some interesting comparisons. While the British swept through the narrow winding channel of Port Jackson in close line ahead at ten or twelve knots, the Americans crept slowly in at odd intervals and the ' Tennessee' missed her moorings. And, curiously, in spite of special arrangements made for news from their home land, the American demand for daily papers was much smaller than the British.
There is some prejudice here against immigrants from Southern Europe, and considerable friction with them where they congregate in the Queensland canefields. With an eye on her population problem, Italy has successfully raised her prestige in Australia through the person of the Marquis de Pinedo, whose flight, a world's " record " in length, roused great admiration.
Japan, perhaps a little jealous at the many signs of British- American co-operation in the Pacific, has sent the bluest of her blood with a special message of friendship to Australia. Mr. Tokugawa, whose wife is related to the Imperial family, is the son of the President of the House of Peers, and the heir of the great Tokugawa Shoguns, who ruled Japan for centuries while the Mikados were rois faineants. From a high position in the Diplomatic Service (he was once temporarily in charge at St. James's), he has been transferred to Sydney as Consul-General.
The vagaries of our electors show at least that they can dis- tinguish State from Federal issues. Labour has not won a Federal election for eleven years, and the pendulum has now swung still further against it. Yet in five of the six States Labour rules now, and during that time its victories in the State sphere have been more frequent than its defeats. Since the split of the Labour Party over the Conscription issue during the War, the dearth of ability and personality in their ranks has become more and more marked ; and since Mr. Theodore has failed to gain an entrance to Federal politics they have only the somewhat discredited Messrs. Charlton and Anstey. This cannot be said of State politics ; possibly because they control the whole internal life of the community and the temptations to the professional politician are greater.
Mr. Bruce has surprised both friends and opponents by his energy and leadership. To travel 10,000 miles in a month, averaging three speeches a day, is no mean feat. Mr. Hughes, who had begun by opposing the deportation of Walsh and Johnson, found that he was scarcely noticed outside his own constituency, that he has no following whatever in Parliament, and that the Government have no need to attract his services.
Perusal of many columns of print inclines one to the belief that, although the judges of the High Court of Australia agree in nothing but in their inability to write clear English, Mr. Bruce cannot deport Walsh or Johnson without amending the Constitution. For any powers that are not Specifically assigned to the Commonwealth are the exclusive prerogative of the States. He may, possibly, pass legislation enabling him to imprison them, but he will suffer greatly in prestige if he does nothing.
The election was remarkable for the immense _ increase in interest shown by all ; but particularly by the younger members of the anti-Labour classes. " Constitutional Clubs," to stimulate interest in politics and to combat Communism, have been founded and are rapidly growing in every large city. In fact, Labour men are complaining that, for once, the en• thusiasm and the voluntary assistance was chiefly on the side of their opponents. There seems to be hope that if this move- ment continues some of the professional politicians on both sides will be replaced by better_educated and more disinterested men.
The perennial struggle between the extreme industrial and the more moderate political sections of Labour has broken out with renewed vigour as a result of the elections, especially in New South Wales. It will be as inconclusive as ever ; partly because some of the chief participants have before this changed sides and may do so again and partly because the policy of Labour is to include every worker, irrespective of creed, in the unions, which must therefore contain Communists. And Communists, like scum, persist in rising to the top. In any case, all outward dissensions cease instantly at the approach of an election.
New South Wales is following the example of Queenslani in showing that an Upper House of life-nominees, though its personnel is admittedly of a high standard, cannot easily survive in Australia. The endless squabbles, repeated after every Labour victory, about appointments and " swamping,'' make its position almost impossible. As the last• Nationalist Government failed to reform the Council, it is now under sentence of death for having thrown out some partisan legis- lation which was never mentioned in the Premier's policy speech. Mr. Lang, too, had gone out of his way to declare that he would do nothing that was not in that speech.
The choice of a Test team has never been more difficult. In the match Australia v. The Rest an attempt was made to bring in new blood which is admittedly remarkably promising.
The result was that three of the excluded veterans, Bardsley, Macartney, and Kelleway, were largely responsible for the unprecedented victory of the Rest. But, rightly or wrongly, few people here can be persuaded by talk of " luck " or " wet wickets" that the Ashes are in serious danger.—I am, Sir, &c., YOUR AUSTRALIAN CORRESPONDENT.
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