Australia and New Zealand [antikvár]

Introduction Events since Pearl Harbor have brought about a marked change in the political horizons of Australia and New Zealand. The traumatic experiences of the fall of Singapore, the Battle of the Coral Sea and the bombing of Australia by Japanese planes have caused a reassessment of their problems of security. IVIore-over, the rumblings of restless, reinvigorated Asia have shifted the sights of both countries from the Middle East, where they had rested since World War I days, to the near north. Geographically a part of Asia, Australia seemingly is becoming more and more aware of the southward pressures of that continent's millions, influenced and goaded by an aggressive Communist China. Slighdy less vulnerable and more isolated across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand, too, is becoming conscious of new forces in the far Western Pacific area. Australians and New Zealanders, however, are made of stern stuif. Today's prosperity and political stability tend to mask the toughening influences of their early histories. The beginnings of Australia, for example, were marked by violence, minor-scale rebellion and pitiless exploitation of man by man. Life was hard, and the harshness of climate and country exacted its toll. Fortunately for Australia, the great political and economic troubles in England and on the continent of Europe in the 1840s and 1850s coincided to some extent with the gold rush of the 1850s. These events brought about large-scale emigration to Australia of new classes of Englishmen, Irishmen, Scots and Welshmen, as well as Germans and others from the continent. Through their influence, the tightly knit establishment that had ruled Australia for decades was challenged, and new leadership came to the fore. Similar movements took place in New Zealand, where the discovery of gold in the early 1860s caused the population to double within five years. Stemming largely from the fierce democracy in the gold fields and on the waterfronts of both countries, and led and inspired by this new brand of liberal leaders, trade unionism rose rapidly and through its militancy was largely responsible for many innovations in social security and labor legislation. In these fields Australia and, more particularly. New Zealand have led the world for more than half a century. They continue to do so today. Australia and New Zealand play a highly important role in the attainment of the national objectives of the United States in the Pacific and Asian areas, as we do in theirs. Aside from the mutual obligations of the ANZUS and SEATO treaties, our rapidly growing trade with these countries and the interchange of more goods, investments, scientific knowledge and binational undertakings of various kinds all contribute to the healthy parallelism in foreign policy objectives between us. This timely and much-needed volume prepared by Colin Maclnnes and the Editors of Life is a penetrating and stimulating study. Mr. Maclnnes has portrayed the Australians and New Zealanders for what they are: young, spirited, undaunted and unafraid of the challenges on every hand; people with a love of sunlight, movement and space. His analyses of their literature and art suggest a recurrent note of dissent, vigorous and impressive. And his comments and conclusions are forthright, sometimes challenging, but not to be taken lightly. This book will do much to encourage American readers to pursue the fascinating and dramatic stories of those fine people, the Aussies and the Kiwis. I commend it to them. William J. Sebald former U.S. Ambassador to Australia