More Elbowroom

The U.S., big, free and rich with opportunity, has always been a land to come to. Its emigrants could almost be counted on a few expatriate fingers. But out of San Francisco last week, on the Matson Line's Marine Phoenix, sailed a party of U.S. emigrants, bound for Australia. In the party were only 20 men (all ex-G.I.s who had been stationed in Australia), the Aussie war brides of twelve of them, and twelve children. But Australia hoped that many, many more U.S. veterans would follow this vanguard.

Japan had given Australia a bad scare in World War II. Now, fearful that some day she might again have to fight some heavily populated neighbor, Australia was, in effect, buying population and manpower. But she did not want just anybody. Specifically, she did not want Negroes and Orientals. What she wanted most was those "splendid American soldiers." How many? Up to a million.

Australia had neither the housing nor the shipping facilities to handle more than a few hundred. But her Minister for Immigration and Information, Arthur Calwell, was busy in the U.S. drumming up trade. His biggest inducement: payment by Australia of 40% of an emigrant's passage (tourist class).

The inducement seemed to be working. Since the offer was first made in May, inquiries at the rate of 100 a day have been made at the Australian consulates in New York and San Francisco. To date, only about 100 applicants have actually been cleared to enter Australia.

Why were they going? They gave a great variety of answers. Few admitted that their Aussie wives (or fiancees still waiting for them Down Under) had anything to do with it. Some were going for the adventure. Wrote one: "New land. Less people. More elbowroom." Some thought they would have a better chance than in the U.S. to start businesses of their own. Many had been taken with the Australian climate and pace of living. Wrote ex-G.I. George Mason: "[Down there], Babbitts and go-getters are conspicuously absent. The people are happy, and in no hurry to slaughter themselves."

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