GERMANY'S VANISHING COLONIES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2521, 23 July 1915, Page 5

GERMANY'S VANISHING COLONIES

CAMPAIGNS REVIEWED

A FINE RECORD

STATEMENT BY MR BONAR LAW By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, July 21. " hen the Colonial Office vote was nemg considered in the House of Commons, Mr. I3onar Law (Secretary of State, lor the Colonies) made a statement concerning tlit military operations against the various German colonies. Ho that tho Germans in Africa, as in 1/uropc, were much better prepared for war than we were. Tho spirit tho British had shown in the various colonies and the manner in which they had volunteered for service was evidence that the same spirit which had built up tho Empire was never stronger or more marked than at the present time. Tho natives also had been most loyal. Ho paid a tribute to tho gallantry of the Canadians, New Zealanders, and Australians, and expressed admiration for tho quality of their troops and tho services rendered by them to the Empire. We had not yet secured possession of the Cameroons, but tho Germans' hold on them was precarious and not likely to last lone. The War In the Pacific. When the war began our commerce was much interfered with by German cruisers, assisted by wireless stations in the Pacific and Africa. It was, therefore, of tho utmost importance to obtain possession or destroy the stations. The most powerful was one on a German Pacific island, and the suggestion was made that Australia and New Zealand should take possession of the islands containing' stations. Thoy agreed, and Now Zealand undertook to seize. Samoa, and within a week a New Zealand Expeditionary Force was ready, and New Zealand • occupied Samoa on the last day of August. (Cheers.)

In tlio Pacific, with which the Commonwealth undertook to (leal, the importance consisted of German New Guinea, tho Bismarck Archipelago, and the Solomons. Tho Australian Force was large, and was escorted by throe Australian battleships, 0110 of which was in at the death of the Emdeii. (Cheers.) The occupation of the island did not take place without fighting, but within a few months of the outbreak of war all the islands were in our possession.

German-African Cofoniss. In Togolantl, the only German oversea colony which has paid its way without being subsidised by Germany, tliero was an immense wireless station costing about .a quarter of million, which was in communication, with Berlin direct. The Germans destroyed the station before surrendering. ■

In the earlier stages of the campaign in the Cameroons, we suffered severe losses and had to retire to tho Nigerian border, but with the assistance of the French progress was kept up. We captured, on June 11, a strong town with a considerable number of prisoners and war material.

In regard to South-West Africa, he observed that the Germans were consoling themselves with the fact that it had been won by the Dutch under a Dutch General. The.Germans were perfectly welcome to this consolation, but every citizen of the British Empire was pleased that it had been won by a selfgoverning Dominion, and that 1 the Prime Minister was the General in command. He was sorry ho was unable to announce complete victory in East Africa, or even an advance. Tho position was largely ono of stalemate.

A Fine Fieoord, From every British possession had come men to join the forces in England. That was a fine record for us as a nation.' We can say that neither business nor luxury has sapped the courage of tho racenor raado it less able to fight than in the/days when lighting was necessary for the existence of the Empire. Ouv native levies had fought well, and gallantly, and had nowhere showed a want of discipline, nor committed excesses. In one instance where one of the legs of a machine-gun tripod had been shot away, two West African privates allowed themselves to he used as legs, and efficiently used, until the enemy had been driven off. All those who had read Sir lan Hamilton's dispatches must feelthat neither in this nor any other war had greater courage been sfibwu than that of the Australians and New Zealanders in their landing on the Gallipoli Penin•sula. (Cheers.)

Mr. T. P. O'Connor hoped that for the sake of tho inhabitants of the captured German colonies, they would never be asked to exchange the beneficent British rule for the German. That would be a poor return for the valour of our soldiers. The Government's pledge to consult tho Dominions upon European policy at the conclusion of the war removed the roproach felt-in Australia, Now Zen land, Canada, and South Africa, which were pouring out their blood treasure.

WITHIN THE IMPERIAL CIRCLE

COLONIAL STATESMEN AT CABINET. COUNCILS. London, July 21. Mr. Steel-Maitland (Under-Secretary for tho Colonies), speaking in the House of Commons, said that it'was intended to take responsible Ministers from . the Colonies into the Imperial Government's confidence on every matter during war, and at the end, in the peace settlement. That was tho reason why Mr. Borden was present at the recent Cabinet meeting. That was not an isolated phenomenon, but part of tho general trend of events

PRESS' COMMENT. ■ (Rec. July 2, 11.45 p.m.) London, July 22. Tho "Morning Post/ 1 commenting on Mr. Bouar Law's specch, says:— I "The fighting in the outer Empire has been largely done by tho self-governing peoples, and when the settlement comes itis right that tliey should be consulted. This would be best effected by an Imperial Conference while the war is proceeding. We trust the Government will reverse the decision against this, aud that Mr. Bonar Law won't be deterred by the conventional excuses of the permanent officials who want to save themselves the' trouble. Since Mr. Joseph Chamberlain left, the Colonial Office has fallen out of touch with colonial sentiment, and has played the usual role of a wet blanket with depressing assiduity. We have not much faith iu the grandiose scheme for. a Parliament of the whole Empire, but the Dominions and the Mother Country might discuss the foundations of a true union in the way of a common trade union designed to keep | Germany out of the British Empire. We also recommend Mr. Bonar Law's attention to schemes whereby the Dominions might absorb some of our fighting men j after the war." I