IN NEW GUINEA

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 166, 16 July 1942, Page 5

IN NEW GUINEA

GERMAN INTRIGUES Missionaries' Anti-British Activities Special Australian Correspondent. Rec. 1 p.m. SYDNEY, this day. There was definite knowledge, not merely suspicion, that many German missionaries in New Guinea had indulged in anti-British activities. General Sir Walter McNicoll, Administrator of New Guinea, making this statement, added that when Australia regained possession of the territory from the Japanese her first action should be to deport all foreign missionaries and replace them with British. One in every ten of the missionaries in New Guinea had been Germen, principally Lutheran and Catholic. Not all the others were British. In the past 20 years more than 400 German missionaries in New Guinea had not contributed to peace or the benefit of Australia. The great bulk of the natives were friendly towards Australia, and would continue so if not subject to foreign influences. General McNicoll said he had frequently advocated a discontinuance of the New Guinea mandate and its incorporation with Papua as a dependency of Australia. It was of tremendous importance for the safety of Australia that New Guinea, Papua, the Solomons and the chain of islands adjoining should not be permanently held by anv foreign nation.