274 Australian Life 



exclude him from Commonwealth territory, a 

 stroke of British diplomacy exalted Japan to the 

 position of an Imperial ally. The outbreak of 

 the Eastern war followed, and from that time the 

 Australian attitude towards Japan has been in- 

 definable. The Australians love the Japanese at 

 a distance. They regard them as splendid fight- 

 ing men, and creditable allies even to the Mother 

 Country. But these facts do not alter the Aus- 

 tralian view that the Japanese is an undesirable 

 citizen, whereas the Russian is a desirable one. 

 During the progress of the war, a motion was 

 tabled in the Australian Parliament for the free 

 admission of Japanese into the Commonwealth. 

 It was not granted even serious consideration. 



On the other hand, Japanese feeling on the 

 subject is equally unmistakable. The Japanese 

 are not given to parading their feelings, or an- 

 nouncing their plans in advance. But it is certain 

 that their exclusion from Australia is at once 

 harmful to their settled policy of expansion, and 

 wounding to their national pride. It is set down 

 as a matter for attention as soon as more pressing 

 affairs have been settled. Responsible Japanese 

 statesmen have openly said as much. Japanese 

 merchants who have business relations with Aus- 

 tralia are never tired of referring to their griev- 

 ance, even in business correspondence. The 

 injury crops up in every pearlers' quarrel at 

 Thursday Island or on the north-west coast of 

 Australia, and the angry Japanese coolie does not 



