E. George Marks | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ernest George Marks 1884 or 1885 Braidwood, New South Wales |
| Died | 2 February 1935 (aged 50) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Education | St. Stanislaus College, Bathurst |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist and author |
| Known for | Campaigning for stronger Australian defence |
Ernest George Marks (c. 1885 – 2 February 1935) was an Australian journalist and author who from the 1920s predicted military conflict in the Pacific between Japan and the United States.[1]
Marks was born in New South Wales into a family with French military ancestors, endowing him with a lifelong interest in Napoleonic matters. His journalistic career began in 1903 and he rose to the position of chief court reporter, but became better known for his articles, books, and lectures on military strategy, particularly the risk posed to Australia by Japanese territorial ambitions in the Pacific. His writings on this subject proved prescient but incorporated the racist tropes of the white Australia policy that argued that the "white races" risked being engulfed by an expanding population of Asians.
His pugnacious writing style and strong opinions divided reviewers, with some appreciating his forthright statement of Australia's weak strategic position while others saw him as alarmist and peddling "old scares".[2]
Marks died at the age of 50 after he fell from a tram.