GERMANY IN THE PACIFIC

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2231, 18 August 1914, Page 7

GERMANY IN THE PACIFIC

STRATEGIC POSITIONS. Although Germany's possessions in' the Pacific are few and unimportant from a oommercial standpoint, she holda several strong strategic positions within a comparatively short distance of Australia and New Zealand. During recent years Germany hae teen gradually but surely strengthening her position in the Pacuic, h-'iving since 1891 scoured the Bismarck group of islands and the two largest of tho Samoan group from Great Britain, and tho Caroline Islands from Spam. It is significant th»t the principal centre ol each group has been provided with Mgn power wireless 6tatiows. . . Of late years there has been some development in south-east' New Guinea. Kaiser Wilhelm'B Land, which was declared a German protectorate m 18S4. Ribaul, formerly Simonshaven, is the principal • centre, and seat of governnient. It is also a naT-al depot and a coaling station for German warships stationed in the China seas and Paciuc. Including Long Island, Dauipier Island, and n few other small groups, Kais3r Wilhelm's Land has on estimated area of 70,000 square miles, and a. population of 531,000 natives and 723 whites, of whom 578 are Germane. The development of the protectorate.wns entrusted to the German New Guinea Companyi but on April 1, 1899, the administration waa transferred to -the Imperial Government. Only a small area is under cultivation, the crops consisting cbieHy of cocoa palms and caoutohouc. the natives barter oopra., . motiiter-of-pwrl, and • trepang, while tWe 16 also considerable trade in homes, cattle, and goats. Gold has been discovered 'recently in the Bismarck Mountains, but the mineral resources of the country are generally, in an undeveloped state, borne idea of the extent of .trade in German Now Guinea may bo gained from the fact that in 1910 (the last year for which flg-ures are available) tte value of imports was ,£194,000 and exports £181,200. In 1884 a German protectorate de. clared over the New Bnfiftin AjcUpelago unci adjaoent group of'islands. "i" were then renamed the Bismarck Archipelago. Those islands are populated by 1 EE.ODO nn/tives, 396 Chinese, and 4(4 whites, of whom 364 axe Germans. Germany owns also part 'of. the Solomon • Islands group, but Ohousene, Isabel or Mahaga, and various smaller islands in the vicinity: wore transferred to Britain in 1899. Sandalwood and tortoise shell are the chief oommeraial products. These German idands. are administered from Kaiser Wflhelms Land. The Caroline;,lslands;: with, the «oejs; tion of Guam, ceded to the United States m 1898, passed from Spanish to | German possession by .tn-eaty in ibs». The white population is (Germans 194). and native 55,000. Tho chief export- is copra. ' • , The Marshall Islands, 'consisting of two chains of lagoon islands, known as Raitak and Baliok, have belonged to Germany since 1885, Iho inhabitantsconsist of 179 whites (91. Germans) and 15.000 natives. The administration was. taken over from the Jaluit .Company by the German colonial authorities on April 1 1906. The chief island and the eert l of the German Imperial Commissioner is Jaluiit. The principal export 15 pho^P Tfo largest of the Samoan Islands, Savau and TJpolu, aro v German dependencies. By the Angfo-German agreement of November 14, 1899, Greit Britain renounoed • all her Tights over the islands in favour of Geruwny as regards Savn and TJpolu, and in favour of the United States as regards Tutuila and tho ether islands. Under the German,lmperial governor there ifl a. high cnier, with a native oonncil. Jntttico is administered by i native as well aa European, judges and magistrates. $a*au has an area -of about 6GO squaW: miles, and Upclu 344 square miles. 1 Both islands are mountainous, fertile, and well watered. The port.of Apia, whjch is also a coaling station, is in Upolu. ;The inhabitants of the islands are Polynesians, who, .though nominally Christians, still Wto nativei superstitions. In 1911 there was a white populatic[n of 490, or whom 28l were German and 108 British. The German Government has- a school at Apia; while there are ale? ; numerous mission schools. TracWwhach 15 in the hands of German, British, and American firms, is chiefly in oopra and cocoa An important consideration at the .present time is the foot. that wireless etations have been established at Agia (Samoa), Nauru (Marshall. Hands), Rabane (German New Guinea), and-Yap (Caroline Islands). . Father says: "A cup of Camp Coffee is tho finest thing on earth for. putting lifo and 'go' into one. So delioious, bo economical, so easy is it to prepare, that I would never be without it. —Advt.