CO129-464 - Public Offices - 1920 — Page 295

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donse population could be maintained in so small an area,

scribed this not to the industries, of which there are very

few in Java, but chiefly to the extreme fertility of the soil

which was the most fertile he had ever seen.

ho

The fact that practically no fertilisers were

required by the antive population, and that this had been going

on for hundreds of years, was one of the wonders of the world;

und where Java and the other islands were so olosely skin,

had no doubt that for the purpose of expansion these, And

other islands, would if cultivated produce a similar rich

Carvent twice a year, against once a year in Japan.

Ha therefore drew the attention of the Japanese

population to endeavour to settle on the other islands, oreate kens of transport, and the result would then soon be com-

parable to that of JavA.

The aros of the Dutch East Indies was 700,000 sure

miles, or 2.7 times that of Japan, so that there would be at

least room for three or four hundred million people.

The Dutch Government were taking a neutral attitude

nd seemed to be truly friendly to Japan and the Japenese, not

pevine say distrust and giving Japanese emigrants sousl

richts with Dutch settlers, The reason for anti-Jepenene

Essling in the Dutch Saat Indies was ascribed to the improper

attitude of the travelling Japanese whom he considered con-

bisted of the wrong element to build up friendly relations,

end that the Japanese who had come over did not belong to the

bless he wished to persuade to settle there.

The method to be employed in the D.3.I. would of

bourse be different to that in Chian where there would be a

market ready to hand, whereas the scarcity of the population

in the rest of the islands of the Melay Archipelago prevented

juch a market being available.