[Editor: This is a chapter from the novel The Coloured Conquest (1904) by “Rata” (Thomas Richard Roydhouse).]
Chapter X.
The blow falls. — Australia hopelessly awaits the coming of the Japanese. — And Mabel and I think of Matte Yoko.
“Gentlemen,” said the Premier after he had read the telegram, and addressing the deputation as a whole, “I am quite at one with you, but it would be absurd for me to promise to do anything. I was talking to the Federal Minister for Defence only yesterday, and he assured me that our defences were in ‘perfect order’ — yes, I know you have often heard that before. But, after closely questioning him, I came to the conclusion that ‘perfect order’ really meant nothing reassuring. There is a poor supply of rifle ammunition, and next to nothing for the field artillery and machine guns.
“All the rifles that are available for New South Wales will be here next week — I have arranged for that. There will also be some ammunition — some.
“Rifles and ammunition will be distributed to applicants until they are exhausted.
“The Town Hall will be the temporary depot.”
The members of the deputation looked at each other in blank dismay.
Did the Premier know something more than they?
Was the danger already at their gates?
“Be prepared, gentlemen, to do what you can,” continued Mr. Ashton.
“You will not be able to do much, thanks to the fact that we have for so many years been blind to the risks Australia has always run; but do what you can.”
“What has happened?”
“What have you heard?”
The questions were shouted by half a dozen members of the deputation simultaneously.
The Premier did not appear to hear them.
“When the enemy does get possession,” he continued, “submit — just submit. It will be better. Indeed, I don’t know whether it is good policy to make any resistance. It will only incense them, and they may make us pay in a way we won’t like.”
He paused, and gazed blankly at the floor.
The deputation was speechless for a moment. Then the President of the Bankers’ Institute spoke:
“Why, Ashton!” he said, “you’ve got the blues! Don’t forget that the British fleet has to be disposed of before the Japs can get at us. And, what is more, we don’t know for certain yet that they are on the way.”
Several members of the deputation said “Hear, hear.”
There was another pause for a moment while citizens gazed in nervous wonderment from the face of one Minister to another.
“I have forgotten nothing,” said the Premier, presently. “I remember everything — too well. A quarter of an hour before you arrived I received a certain message from the Federal Prime Minister, Mr. Isaacs. That message I had just finished reading to my colleagues when you came in. Perhaps I ought to read it to you.”
There was again a pause.
“I will read it to you.”
Silence now was heavy upon us.
We felt that a blow was to fall.
And it did.
“This is the message,” said Mr. Ashton, presently. “I will read it.”
“From Isaacs, Prime Minister, to Ashton, Premier, N.S.W.
“I have just received following message from Fanning Island:— (commence) British, South Africa and West Indian squadrons junctioned 898 miles N. of Fanning Island. Object unknown.
“Japanese fleet, 25 battleships, 35 first-class cruisers, 30 torpedo boat-destroyers appeared almost simultaneously.
“No signalling.
“Japanese opened fire, the submarines attacked, and general battle ensued.
“All British vessels but two cruisers and two torpedo boat-destroyers were sunk, crews with them. The two cruisers and the two torpedo boats together with London Daily Telegraph yacht (Bennett Burleigh, special correspondent on board), steamed off in different directions. Yacht made this island to-day. Japanese loss comparatively light.”
The Premier stopped reading, and helped himself to a glass of water.
“Is that the lot?” asked the husky voice of the Chairman of the Stock Exchange.
The Premier looked at him without speaking; then, turning, picked up another sheet of the message and went on reading:—
“I rescued several Japanese sailors and two officers from a vessel that had been sunk. One named Taksuma I know. He told me that the Japanese would split up, one section going to South America to gather in all the war vessels of the different Republics and cover landings of Japanese troops already on the way, the others going to Australia and New Zealand.
“Latter will join South American section after dealing with Australia and New Zealand.
“For God’s sake prepare.
“BENNETT BURLEIGH.”
No member of the deputation could say a word.
“The Prime Minister’s own message refers to preparation,” continued Mr. Ashton.
“As it is not known at which point the Japanese will first attack Australia, too much must not be expected from our squadron. But, even if it meets the Japanese, it must inevitably be swept to destruction by it.
“Even if it meets,” said a banker.
“That reminds me,” continued the Premier, who was much confused, “that there is another message from Bennett Burleigh that I have not read to you, but which is, nevertheless, very much in my mind.”
Members of the deputation moved uneasily, but no one offered a remark.
“This is the other message,” said Mr. Ashton.
“Learned later from Taksuma that Japanese will not separate until Australia has been occupied. Landings of troops will be covered at ten points if resistance is offered. Then few ships will go to New Zealand and remainder to South America. New Caledonia is already occupied. Taksuma, who is friendly to the British, advises no resistance.
“Main portion of combined Japan-Chinese navy will make surprise attack of British and Continental fleets. All cables held by Japanese, and Japanese spies told off to deal with land lines. Faked messages will draw fleets to their destruction.”
“By gum! Won’t there be a sale for this,” whispered one newspaper man to another.
A telegraph messenger here entered the room.
“Our squadron can do nothing,” gasped the President of the Chamber of Commerce.
“Our squadron will do nothing,” said the Premier, calmly.
The eyes of all the deputation were turned upon him.
He had opened and read another telegram.
“Our squadron will do nothing,” he repeated. “The Commonwealth Government asked the Imperial Government by cable to forbid the Admiral to take the ships to sea. It would be merely suicide for all the officers and men, without the faintest shadow of hope of accomplishing anything.”
Another message entered, followed by yet another.
Mr. Ashton hastily read the telegrams they brought.
“And did the Imperial Government agree?” presently asked a member of the deputation.
“Yes — at least the Prime Minister received a message to that effect, but we don’t know that the Japanese did not send it. We are aware now that they have the cables, for the representatives of the cable companies have tried their secret cyphers on the Asian, African and Pacific stations, and got no satisfaction.”
“Then what will the squadron do?” someone asked.
“The Governor-General has ordered it not to fight,” replied the Premier.
The deputation looked at him vacantly and speechlessly, moved towards the door, stopped, looked at the Premier again, then withdrew.
* * *
Sydney was isolated from the rest of the world.
And the Japanese were approaching in invincible force. With them Major Matte Yoko, who sought my life — and Mabel.
Source:
Rata, The Coloured Conquest, Sydney (NSW): N.S.W. Bookstall Co., 1904, pp. 75-80
Editor’s notes:
blue = depressed, sad; to have “the blues” is to feel very down or low in spirit
by gum = an exclamatory phrase, used to express determination, emphasis, or surprise (e.g. “have ’em we will, by gum!”, “Can Australian women cook? They can, by gum!”, “By gum, he’s dead!”); it is an alternative wording for “by God”, from the tradition of avoiding blasphemy and the misuse of sacred words, by substituting words with the same initial letter (exclamatory oaths that use such a substitution for “God” include “by George”, “good golly”, “oh my gosh”, “good gracious me”, and “good grief”) or by using words which are similar in formation, nature, sound, or style
Continental = (in a British context or from a British viewpoint) continental Europe (i.e. excluding the British Isles)
Fanning Island = the atoll of Tabuaeran, also known as Fanning Island, part of the Republic of Kiribati (a country comprised of various islands, located in Micronesia, in the central Pacific Ocean); Tabuaeran is located south of Hawaii and north of the Cook Islands)
See: “Tabuaeran”, Wikipedia
Isaac Isaacs = Sir Isaac Isaacs, politician, Attorney-General of Australia (1905-1906), Justice of the High Court of Australia (1906-1930), Chief Justice of Australia (1930-1931), Governor-General of Australia (1931-1936); he was born in Melbourne (Vic.) in 1855, and died in South Yarra (Melbourne, Vic.) in 1948
See: 1) Zelman Cowen, “Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs (1855–1948)”, Australian Dictionary of Biography
2) “Isaac Isaacs”, Wikipedia
Japs = abbreviation of “Japanese” (a reference to a group of Japanese, or Japanese in general)
N. = (abbreviation) north
[Editor: Added a double quotation mark after “got no satisfaction.”]
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