[Editor: This book review, regarding The Pride of Palomar by Peter B. Kyne (an American novelist), was published in the “Some new novels” section of The Bookfellow (Sydney, NSW), 30 November 1921. The review includes some commentary on the White Australia Policy.]
An anti-Japanese novel
As fiction, P. B. Kyne’s “The Pride of Palomar” is merely Californian flotsam, with no value and little interest.
The story carries an anti-Japanese moral; with an exposition of the manner in which the Japs, defying U.S. immigration laws, trickle over the long and unguarded Mexican border into California. Then, by virtue of harder work and better team-work, they get control of some Californian fruit-lands and a bitter cry goes up to Congress.
In a similar way, the Japanese have got control of part — perhaps the larger part — of Australian pearl-fishing industry at Broome and Thursday. So they could get control of the whole Australian North —peacefully penetrating with more men and more work than we offer the empty territory.
They have the naval power; they have the teeming people; only Britain’s diplomatic hand restrains them — till the time is ripe.
It is sardonically amusing to hear people preaching White-Australia while reviling Britain — the foundation-stone of the White-Australian edifice.
Source:
The Bookfellow (Sydney, NSW), 30 November 1921, p. 184
Editor’s notes:
Congress = the legislature of the federal government of the United States; it consists of a lower house (the House of Representatives) and an upper house (the Senate)
See: “United States Congress”, Wikipedia
edifice = a large and imposing building or structure, especially one which is considered to be impressive or spectacular; a large, complex, elaborate, or impressive institution, organisation, school of thought, set of beliefs, system; a complex or well-constructed collection of beliefs, ideas, ideals, or thoughts
Japs = abbreviation of “Japanese” (a reference to a group of Japanese, or Japanese in general); in the context of war, the term can refer to the Japanese military or elements thereof
P. B. Kyne = Peter Bernhard Kyne (1880-1957), an American author; he was born in San Francisco (California, USA) in 1880, and died in San Francisco in 1957.
See: “Peter B. Kyne”, Wikipedia
teeming = abounding, brimming, full, overflowing, or swarming — especially regarding large numbers of living things, such as fish, insects, or people (e.g. “the lake was teeming with fish”, “the National Park was teeming with wildlife”, “the Grand Final at the MCG was teeming with footy supporters”, “the teeming millions of Asia”, “the teeming streets of Sydney”); a big downpour of rain, a large quantity of rain
territory = (in the context of northern Australia) the Northern Territory
See: “Northern Territory”, Wikipedia
Thursday = Thursday Island, an island situated off the northern point of Cape York Peninsula (Queensland)
See: “Thursday Island”, Wikipedia
U.S. = (abbreviation) United States of America
[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]
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