The Australian 247 



as the goblins showed to Gabriel Grub, not one 

 of them but shall concern his own Australia. 



There is nothing in this Australian attitude 

 that is inconsistent with the loyalty to Imperial 

 ideals that Australia has proved by more than 

 mere words. The most aggressively Australian 

 paper in the whole continent is careful to explain 

 that it is not anti-British, but only pro-Aus- 

 tralian. The ordinary Australian finds it easy 

 enough to be pro-British and pro- Australian at 

 one and the same time. From the Imperial as 

 well as the Australian point of view, this is a 

 distinct advance upon the days when it was cor- 

 rect for Australians to be pro-British only, and 

 to disparage all the things that they termed 

 " colonial." The reaction was inevitable in 

 time, but it has come about without any weaken- 

 ing of the race sentiment that is the strongest tie 

 between the Colonies and the Motherland. This 

 desirable consummation speaks eloquently of the 

 wisdom and sagacity of Imperial administration, 

 as well as the common-sense that is so strong a 

 characteristic of the Australian. 



The seasons, the climate, and the fauna and 

 flora of Australia are all united in one conspiracy 

 against the Australian remaining "more English 

 than the English." I can still remember that 

 the most pronounced effect of the British books 

 and poetry I read when at school was to convince 

 me of the unreality of literature. ' ' Chill October' ' 

 was to me the gladdest month of the year, when 



