In Australia there was the tendency towards isolation, manifesting itself in an aloofness from foreign capital, its influence and profit, and it was this tendency which did much to rouše the initiative of the state leading to the construction of railways, irrigation-works a. s. o. The Australians wished to secure the foreign capital indispensable for these enterprises, by government and parish loans so as to have it under their political control. They kept to these principles, even when they had to subsidize passive enterprises and this Opposition to large private enterprises only grew and stiffened when the principles defended by the Labour Party were cárried through.

A powerful propaganda was the amalgamation of the national pan-Australian idea with the ideals of social progress. The reform of social legislation was but the outcome of the conviction that everybody is entitled to a living wage, the protection from starvation and distress. Universal suffrage, equality of rights for both. men and women, higher wages for less work, no sweating, a generál improvement of the standard of life: all this was comparatively easy to realize because it was but part and parcel of the proud ideal of free Australia.

The lofty ideal of the Australian patriot is supported by the firm belief that thanks to the realization of these humanitarian ideals Australian civilization is by far superior to the countries of the Old World and even to America. This conviction of the superiority of the Australian government, of its high ideal virtue has been embraced somewhat uncri-tically all through Australia and it became the solid foundation for all who for party purposes or from selfishness wished to protéct and to increase the isolation of Australia in every respect.'

„Australia for the Australians" is the device, the sound meaning of which is often misused and even abused for ends which are not for the common weal.

The first point of generál political importance in the programme for the protection of the working classes of the white population is the struggle against the employment of coloured labour. Coloured immigra-tion has to be prohibited, so as not to lower the standard of life of the Australian working-classes by competition. This is the so-called White Australia policy, to-day a national dogma though it is the chief obstacle against a denser population of the almost uninhabited tropical third of Australia and the reason of very serious fears for the future of Australia.*)

According to this policy first the Kanakas from the Pacific islands were exluded from work in the Australian plantations, while the number of Chinese, Japanese, Indians and other coloured people was restricted by the strict application of the regulations impeding their admission into the Commonwealth.