The Australian 249 



tant from the centre of Empire, but it occupies 

 the most isolated position among all the con- 

 tinents. As a result of this isolation, the Aus- 

 tralian has a tendency to become too completely 

 engrossed in local affairs. The Australian Press, 

 more cosmopolitan than the Australian people, 

 devotes a large amount of space to the outside 

 world, and still contrives to leaven the self- 

 absorption of the Australian. But the pride and 

 patriotism of the native-born have been focussed 

 by the last step taken, when provincialism was 

 renounced for a national life. He is now inclined 

 to think so well of his birthplace that he plans 

 to keep it entirely to himself, and raises a cry of 

 "Australia for the Australians," not "Australia 

 for the white man," nor "Australia for the 

 Empire," let it be observed. In a recent conver- 

 sation with an Australian friend, who was paying 

 a visit to I/mdon, I obtained from him a curious 

 admission. "As far as I can see," he declared, 

 "Australia has nothing whatever to learn from 

 Great Britain, but there is much that Great 

 Britain might learn from Australia." The 

 speaker was an able journalist, occupying a 

 responsible position, and in the Australian sphere 

 of life anything but a narrow-minded egotist. 

 And his attitude, extreme though it be, is surely 

 preferable in every way to that of the Aus- 

 tralians of a generation ago, many of whom were 

 highly gratified when some polite person would 

 feign to mistake them for Englishmen. 



