CAPTURED ISLANDS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2271, 3 October 1914, Page 5

CAPTURED ISLANDS

NEW GUINEA. AND NEW BRITAIN. The announcement that the Australian warships, supported by the Expeditionary Force, havo succeeded. in capturing Now.. Britain, the seat of German government in tho Bismarck Archipelago, recalls the fact that it was only by tho merest chance, and by regrettable mismanagement, that the British flag was not flying over German ( New Guinea from the commencement (says the "Sydney Morning Herald" of September 14}. „ >

As early as 1793 the Honourable East India Company annexed New Guinea, but failed to occupy it. On April 4, 1883, Mr. Chester, acting underinstruc-' tionß from Sir Thomas M'llwraith, who was then Premier of Queensland, took possession of the whole of tho eastern half of New Guinea, east of the Dutch boundary along the 141 st meridian, including all tho islands to the north-cast, the latter being now comprised in the Gorman territory of the Bismarck Archipelago. For reasons which could only be explained by the apparent apathy of Downing Street, the then Secretary of State for tho Colonies, Lord Derby, repudiated the annexation by Australia, and-only under the extreme pressure of the Australian Government, which undertook to guarantee £18,000 per annum to meet the cost of the administration, caused a. protectorate _to be proclaimed by Commodore Brskine "over 'the south-eastern portion of New Guinea on November 6, 1884. This morely included the Trobriand, Woodlark, d'Entrecastoaux, and Louisiade groups of islands. ■ Despite Lord Derby's assurance to Australia at the time that any attempted annexation by a '.other Power would be considered by Great Britain as a casus belli, Germany laid claim to the north-eastern portion of New Guinea. In December, 1884, or only a' month after the proclamation of the protectorate in British New Guinea, Germany formally annexed that part of New Guinea, naming it Kaiser Wilhelm's Land. Germany soon added to her possessions by taking over New Britain, which she renamed Neu Porr.iuern, New Ireland, renamed Neu Meeklenberg; New Hanover, the Caroline and Mar-; shall Islands, together with the Matty, Exchequer, and Admiralty groups,-all of which are now known under the collective term, Bismarck Archipelago. New Guinea was the only island in the world to be owned by three distinct Powers.' A confirmation by the British Government of Sir Thomas M'llwraith's action in 1883, and tho acquisition purchase, at a nominal amount, of tho" Dutch half of the island (which was at the time' possible) would have secured to Australia a large and valuable, territory, containing rich minerals, and supplying all tropical products. It is also particularly evident at the present time that such an action would have obviated all complication!', linblo to arise from such a triple control.