SPECIAL ARTICLE.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16436, 1 February 1919, Page 7

SPECIAL ARTICLE.

THE GERMAN COLONIES.

(SFECIAIiT WBITieK TOR "the press.")

(Br the Hon. Mb Justice Chapman'.)

Xow that the fate of these possessions is about to come before the Peace Conference a brief summary of their position, size, and population may prove instructive. They naturally fall into several groups, though the members of these groups are sometimes so widely separated that they can only be termed groups for convenience in describing them. AFRICA. In pursuing a definite colonial policy Germany has attached the greatest importance to Africa because there it found vast unappropriated territories occupied only by native tribes. The dream of a vaat African Empire to rival our. Indian Empire had obtained a strong and definite hold on the mind of the German people. When a crisis occurred in the relations between Franco and Germany it was adjusted by means of an "exchange" of territories whereby Germany acquired something of value, ceding something of littlo or no value. When the present war opened we heard much of proposed acquisitions from France and Belgiam'and possibly from Great Britain. Even after the tide had turned, Dr. Solf continued his vapourings and talked of "uniting" the scattered German territories by means of fresh annexations. There are four German colonies in Africa, three at least of which are capable of producing a vast amount -of raw material. These are: — (1) GERMAN EAST AFRICA, stretching back from the Indian Ocean to Lake Victoria Nyanaa W., lies between 1 degree south of the equator and 11 degress north latitude and Lake Tanganyika. Its area is 964,000 square rnilee. This is about equal to three times the area of the United Kingdom and three and a half times that of New Zealand. It has a population of 9,000,000, of . whom 3000 are Europeans, 2000 being Germans. It has a. very diversified surface, and this includes much healthy upland country and some high alpine districts. In 1907 its imports were valued at £1,190,000 and its exports at £625,000. These were rapidly increasing as railways were extended. The Britisli and Belgian conquest of this country proved a difficult and expensive operation which was not quite complete when the armistice was concluded. (2) CAMEROON, the centre of which opens on the Atlantic in the Bight of Biafra in latitude 5 degrees north, has an area of 190,000 square miles, equal to about one and one half times the area of the United Kingdom or little short of twice the area of New - Zealand.' It has a population of about 3,500,000, the white portion being quite insignificant. It had in 1907 an in>ward irad outward trade of £1,700,000. It runs back at an irregular figure to Lake Tchad. It produces various forms of. raw material and may become an important contributor of cotton and other fibre. German planters have been fairly successful. It was occupied by the British and French without much difficulty at the commencement of the war. The previous occupation by Germany was effected by/the ruthless destruction of the native tribes. (3) TOGOLAND, in latitude 7 degrees north, has a very narrow front on the Atlantic. It haa an area of 33,000 miles ,that is to say, rather more than that of Ireland and approximately equal to that of Otago and Canterbury. The population is about a million, the Whites numbering only 300, of whom 200' are Germans. It produces timber, cotton, and other useful material, and in 1908 had an inward and outward trade exceeding £800,UOu. It will be remembered that at the outbreak of the war it possessed a very powerful wireless station, which could communicate with Berlin and with Windhoek in Sonth-West Africa. In the event of these three colonies passing to the Allies no question of the disposal- of the white colonists need cause trouble as when troops and officials are withdrawn the number of whites remaining iB quite unimportant. (4) SOUTH-WEST AFRICA—This is the only German colony in which whites can safely settle and raise families. It has a coastline of about 700 miles on the Atlantic, but possesses no ports worth the name. About half of it lies above and half below the tropic of Capricorn. In this respect it resembles' Queensland. Inland it is largely - bounded- by the Kalahari Desert, it has ,an area of 322.000 square miles, namely, tfro and a half times that of the United Kingdom or three times that of New Zealand. In 1903 the population amounted to 200, ou); by 1906 this was reduced to about 100,000. The horrors of the Herero war, by which this was effected, Kave often been referred to, In it more lives were lost than in the whole of the British wars of- the 19th and 20th centuries in South Africa,'including those with the Boers. An enormous agbount of money has .been spent here, but the fruits are not great. In 1903 the white population was said to be near 20,000, but it is doubtful whether there were more than 7000 German colonists, including civil officials. It was qqnquered mainly by the efforts of the Boers, who regard it as part of their own country alienated through the indifference of the Imporial Government. It was found to be equipped with a powerful wireless station, which, according to the journal of the African Society, could communicate with Berlin, more than 6000 miles distant. If that be so, it might perhaps have carried messages to the snips in the Pacific, or at least to stations on the South American coast, whence the officials, having been duly "squared," could forward them. i PACIFIC OCEAN. •The rest of the colonies are in the Pacific. (5); KIAO CSAU, containing the naval station of Tsing Tau, is by far the most important of them. It was seiaed by force »Snd strongly fortified. When; the Japanese joined in the war theyTblockaded .it, and .with some British assistance attacked ,it by land and sea. Some German ■ war vessels were captured or destroyed there, but the main, squadron, comprising the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau, put to sea, and after, destroying a British squadron off the South. American coast, -was itself destroyed off the Falkfonds. The area is small—only 117 square miles—but as. a naval .station _in the Pacific and a means of obtaining a controlling .influence in China, Kiao Chan -had great value. The native p6pulation is 60,000. -The inward and outward trade • approached three millions before the war. It is not likely that the Japanese will ever consent to return it to Germany.

(6)-THE CAROLINE ISLANDS form an immense group of very small tropical islands t formerly possessed by Spain. - TTiey lie generally about eight degrees north of the Equator. The total area is only 380 square miles. The population is about - 36,000. The colony was purchased by Germany for over £800,000. The trade is small, and the value doubtful. The islands have been occupied by the Japanese.

J (7) THE MARSHALL ISLANDS, in the same latitude, have an area of 160 square miles, and a population of 15,000. including a few Germans. They ■ are administered by the Governor of German New Guinea. These islands, captured by the Japanese, were handed over to the Australian Admiral. Their economic value is very slight. (8) GERMAN NEW* GUINEA. This is a most important possession. New Guinea is au immense island, with an estimated area of 312,000 square miles, The western, or Dutch part, contains over 100,000. TKe British-Australian territory of Papua runs to 90,000, which is not far short of the area of New Zealand, and German New Guinea, the north-ea6tern I section of the island, contains about 70,000 square miles, with a native population that has not been satisfactorily estimated. In 1906 the white population was 150, with a trado of £40,000, but with Government expenditure totalling £76,000. ,This tropical colony has great possibilities. Until recently the eastern half of New Guinea was No Man's Land. An Australian magistrate took possession of it on behalf of the British Crown, but his act was disclaimed by the British Government. Then it was seized by Germany. Negotiations ensued, which resulted in Papua, with the coast opposite Australia, being-taken over by the British, and the rest retained by Germany. (9) With New Guinea, the Germans acquired what is now termed the BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO and the greater part of the Solomon Islands. The names, such as New Britain, New Ireland, etc., wero changed to New Pomerania. New Hanover, etc. Under the arrangement, by which Germany acquired Samoa, most of the Solomon Islands were ceded to Great Britain. There is not much German settlement in this large group, but its importance is undoubted, and in time it will produce large quantities of tropical raw material, such as cocoanut fibre, rubber, etc., etc. It lies between the equator and the 10th parallel of south latitude, and is greater than Fiji in j extent, probably bringing up the total area under German rule to over 100,000 square miles, equal to that of New Zealand, and not far short of the British -Islands. Some of them- a|V> fantastic in form, being of great length and small breadth, indicating the existence of mountain chains, in which active volcanoes occur. (10) SAMOA.—This small group is better known to Nfew Zealanders than the other colonies. Save for certain tropical diseases, it has a good climate. Its conquest and retention havo cost the New Zealand Government £300,000, or more._ The general belief in its high intrinsic value is probably overrated. ' It is, however, a tropical possession, to which Germany attached great value. One of the islands, with the port of Pago Pago, belongs to the i United States. The real importance of Samoa is that an enemy might turn it into a naval station, which would threaten New Zealand. It was visited by the Scharnhorst and Gneisenan after New Zealand had occupied it, but no injury was done to the town, as it I was German property. I BRITISH INTERESTS. j Before the war, the German colonies were not covered by Great Britain, though, in some instances, regrets were felt that they had not been taken up when belonging to no European power. The case is now different: All or nearly all these so-called colonies were found to have been prepared as military stations, to be used for purposes of. aggression against neighbouring French or British possessions. To surrender South-West Africa would be almost equivalent to repudiating South Africa. To allow an avowed enemy to again establish, himself in the nest of islands to the North of Australia would be to expose that portion of the Empire to immeasurable danger. The above sketch gives some idea of tho resources of the German colonies.Several of them are large and fruitful enough to form, not merely naval stations, but naval bases. Their ultimate retention by Britain or by friendly Powers becomes a military necessity.