GERMAN COAL BASE IN THE PACIFIC

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2225, 11 August 1914, Page 6

GERMAN COAL BASE IN THE PACIFIC

• A. SECRET ISLAND STORE. '"' '■Referring. to ffie 'recont report of German cruisers being off Thursday Island,' o. correspondent,writes:— • •* • . "While engineer oh a German labour-' ■Teomiting vessel, ™ had occasion, due to' angina breakdown, to call in at a port ' 'called Matupi,-' in • Nqw Britain (Nui t Pomerain); Being an old artilleryman, I , immediately • ■ noticed what an. cxceUent coaling station it would make, •: ''•"This 1 harbour -i 6 surrounded by highvolcanic mountains, one .of whioh is dormant,'. 'The harbour" is la-Tge, with deep water, and''narrow entrance, - .-and' with a few 'guns and mines placed in position would be practically impregnable'. !. "I went ashore 'one' evening and found, a large , quantity _ of coal stored under ' cover, also' some in an old ; hulk,' moored t alongside: some well-built dock 6. I cori- ■ sidflr. there must. have been; close on : SCOO ' tons' of Westport coal. I have seen only ,onj».'other harbour in the.Pacific that can ; approach Matupi, and that one is the harbour.'of Pago, Pago, Tutuila, belonging to-.the, United States, which;, is not; quito so.large.hor has it the same hatiiraV. 'defences, \J>eing open to bombardtoent from side's; whereas Matupi can only .be !■ approached: from one. The coal depots ;6annot,.be .seen from; the'entrance, as it '• :is,:snugiy stowed away'behind this slum-, boring volcano. • ) "Outside of,' Matupi Germany has coin- • Jing depots in Apia, Samoa, controlled by a German firm, containing about 500 tons, Mid : a : few'hundred tons are'stored in the " Caroliie Gronp, In Australasian waters ! [Gemfttiy 1 has thrw second-class cruisers, '.which were eSpeoted in Apia, Samoa, 'elsa a sffiall gunboat, the Moere, similar . ;to tha Amokura; used for punitive efpcdiitioiw in CWrnian New Guinea. No doubt. ; in view, of fccent occurrences, Matupi • Will bo-used fis a. base, from Which the cruisers and privateers Will attempt to iprey on -Our merchantmen, and will also serve .as a rendezvous for the German £ .merchantmen which have hastily left Au9i- tralosia® iports. j .' •