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Show ASIATIC QUESTION 13 AGITATING DIPLOMATS America's Old Problem Becomes Be-comes Matter of Concern in Pacific Islands. ORIENTALS GAINING Chinese, Japanese and Hindus Hin-dus Adapt Themselves to New Conditions. SYDNEY Australia, Dec. 30. The Asiatic Asi-atic question which has sprung up so frequently fre-quently in America Is now assuming alarming proportions in I he islands of the Pacific. Every one is aware of the submergence, of the white and native elements in Hawaii by Chinese and Japanese, and from present indications If the war lasts the Carolines, Pelews and Marshalls will fall by right of protracted military occupancy occu-pancy to Japan, which wilt probably be considered a decided menace to the Philippines. Phil-ippines. In most of the Pacific archipelagoes the present labor Is 'mostly colored. In ! New Guinea, the Bismarcks, the new j Hebrides, the Solomons and ?araoa, where the copra industry flourishes, Chinese, Japanese and Indian labor is swiftly gaining gain-ing a foothold, and as the native islander island-er does not take to toil as readily as his yellow brethren, the strain Is at a standstill, stand-still, if not actually dying out. Fiji Group Invaded. The 'Fiji group, which occupies a central cen-tral position under British rule, is peopled peo-pled by a few whites, about 90,000 native na-tive Fijians and fully -15,000 Hindus, who were brought there by the Australian sugar interests to work on the plantations planta-tions under the Indenture system. Comparatively Com-paratively few of these Hindus return to India at the expiration of their time, preferring pre-ferring the more congenial life in the Fijis, where their efforts have been pio-ductlve pio-ductlve of higher wages. This increase in the wage scale of the islands has naturally natural-ly attracted many more Hindus from India, In-dia, and in addition Is gradually drawing in the Chinese and Japanese. The sugar and banana growers of the FIJI group are partial to colore-rl labor, and for this reason are antagonistic to the proposal that these islands be made an Australian dependency, as the "white labor" policy of Australia would undoubtedly undoubt-edly extend to Fiji. Thfe makes it apparent ap-parent that the influx of Asiatics Is rather rath-er welcomed by the growers, because it combats the Australian policy, which, they argue, would be absolutely ruinous to their business. Appreciate Strategic Value. But the Japanese and Chinese rontinue to pour into these islands in hordes, and once they succeed In driving home a "far eastern" wedge, what has happened in Hawaii will undoubtedly materialize in Fiji. Japanese statements that the climate of tlie Pelews. Carolines and Marshalls Is too hot for any extended settlement by the Nipponese are not taken seriously here, as the adaptability of the Japanese In tropical climes has been- shown by their success in Hawaii. Those who have already al-ready peopled this group of islands have discovered that the climate is not so forbidding for-bidding after all, and are apparently preparing pre-paring to stay. The Japanp?e are keenly appreciative of the strategic value of the islands both from a oommernial and a military standpoint, stand-point, for the three archipelagoes command com-mand natural sea routes and are natural natu-ral channels for racial advance toward the southeast. It does not require much Imagination, therefore, to see In the near future Japanese Japa-nese settlement of all Pacific island territory ter-ritory where they are not excluded by antl-Aslatic laws. Japanese Work in Mines. Many Japanese are working in the French New Caledonian mines, which, with their activity in working the phosphate phos-phate deposits on Ocean and Nauru Islands, makes" It possible for these industries in-dustries to continue during the war. The average Japanese seldom remains in the coolie class long, and wl-thln a remarkably re-markably short time after his advent Into the business life of the islands he becomes a factor to be reckoned with. The position posi-tion held by Japan in the entente alliance has rrcuted a lever which is slowly and surely being wielded for the business advancement ad-vancement of her people. The wealth of Singapore, Batavla and Honolulu is already in the hands of the A shit Ic capita list p. and the business of Papeete, the capital of the French Society Soci-ety islands, Is also controlled by Chinese and .Japanese. Chill. Ecuador and Peru will eventually be swept by a wave of Chinese and Japanese Jap-anese commercial invasion which will gradually spread to the other South American Amer-ican countries. Tt becomes more evident every day that this speedy settlement and intermarriage between these Asiatic people peo-ple and the natives of the Pacific will he responsible for a new race t hat in time will have to be taken seriously by the major nations. |