GERMAN NEW GUINEA

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2258, 18 September 1914, Page 6

GERMAN NEW GUINEA

THE COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE A VISITOR'S DESCRIPTION Germain New Guinea has been to very many of us in New/Zealand a country of which we have,but a nebulous knowledge, but now that it has been brought into prominence through its capture by an Australian Force, anything that throws fresh light upon our darkness in that respect is of interest; Miss Pullen Burry, F.R.G.S., F.R.A.S., who has written a book upon German New Guinea, entitled "In a German' Colony,", published by Methuen' about seven years ago, had some interesting 1 things to say about the country to a representative of' The Dominion yesterday. -"In 1884, there ■ w : as, not a single white man living on what is now known as German "New Guinea," said Miss Pulle'n Burry.. "Then a German New Guinea Company started trading operations', and in 1887, after German New Guinea had become ■ a Crown colony, the German, flag was hoisted. The Governor of.the country, with,whom-1 ,stayed at the; time of my. visit, seven years ago," was Dr. Hael, whose wife belonged .=to'djb.6 Von Seckondorf fain■iljy that ..'has, supplied ladies-in-waiting to the German Royal Family in past year's.". -'v'' Would you say that the country was of any grea't f: strategic importance? Miss Pullen Biirry was asked. "I should hardly, have thought so," was: the reply. ' "Its productions : would be of.'. some value. You see, 'tliriv/crow'jco'pra, .tobacco, and cotton, 'and when'.-I 'was there they, had just planted rubber plantations, which are probably productive 1 now. Included in ■the colony, besides' Kaiser Wilhelin's, Land, j's • Archipelago, which in its turn comprehends New Pomerania, Hew Mccklenberg, 'with % New Hanover j and the Admiralty Islands, and ''Bougainville and Buka of tho Solomon Islands. The natives from the various islands are indentured for a term of three years to work on the plantations, the best ones, physically and mentally, coming from jßuka principally. "' Then there is a' large police company of natives, officered by whito men, whose work is largely punitive. They usually come from the Admiralty Islands." How aro the natives treated by. tho Germans? ■' .' 'Very well; certainly the, Germans were .not successful in colonising German New Guinea;, but Dr. Hael held the opinion that the climate was not fit for white labour, and that it was necessary to retain natives to work for them. If the natives were not kept in good health and well looked after, everything ■would suffer, so that it was to their interest to 6ee that they were well treated. It: was the 'machine' point of view again, you see—the human element so seldom seems to count. When I was there the natives were being vaccinated. '■'•■.,-; ; ''A very •interesting, thing, about this colony is the fact that there are so many different dialects among the natives, and so far I have not seen it accounted for. The ethical development varies 60 much also, in some parts 'the natives being very low in the human scale, particularly in the upper part of the Gazelle Peninsula. In some" plaices ,they have a for cannibalism,' and that is where the native police force is particularly useful in bringing the offenders to book. The white population, when I was there, was only about three hundred, 'and I don't thiuk it is likely to have increased to any considerable de'gree. ''.".''■ "The Germans have'instituted- scientific research' work among the' natives, Dr. Thu'rnwald having been sent out there from Germany by'Herr von L'uschen, a very noted, savant, for that particular purpose. .■; Herr von Luschen, by the way, was one of the scientists who attended tho congress of the' British Association for the Advancement of Science, just recently concluded in Aus-t tralia, as you know. There were.all the dialects to be investigated] into, -phonographic records, mostly of songs, to be 'taken, and very many other things 1 to be studied. . A good deal of work has been' done and several books have been written. "A large French mission, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with Bisi.op Coppee at the head, has done very successful work among tho natives, and had introduced a great amount of machinery, sawmills and different appliances for the development of industries. An interesting personality, when I was staying in New Guinea, was Mrs. Kolbe, who was known as Queen Emma. She was the head of the then existing trading firm of Forsyth, and had a record of fine work behind her. "Simpsonhafen, tho port just taken by the Australians, is placed at the end of a long bay, tho passage that leads co it Being strown oii either side with coral reefs. It was found that the climate was not suitable for residential purposes, black fever flourishing most vigorously, so the seat of Government was removed to Herbertsholio, on tho north coast. Matpui, a small island in tho bay, was the first place to be colonised by the Germans. "Decidedly, German New Guinea has its unattractive side," said Miss Pullen Burry in conclusion. "The natives aro very treacherous and savage in. some portions of it; much of the country has never been traversed, and there ib, or was, much sickness. It remains to be seen'now what will be written in the next pages of'its history." The final inspection of all the soldierly gear that,,tho members of tho Expeditionary Fp'rco are allowed to take away with them "on active service is tho chief concern of the troops now concentrated at Epsom. The infantry men have had their kits checked and completed, and to-day tho same examination was carried out in respect of tho mounted men and field ambulance company. Extras' not allowed by regulation were put on one side, and the stipulated quantity of clothing and other personal equipment .was carefully 'checked in every detail.. The Force was ready to move off at an hour's notice, leaving behind full returns and a personal history that have been prepared by a special staff that has been detailed for that duty since the establishment of tho camp.. i