CAPTURED ISLANDS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2625, 22 November 1915, Page 7

CAPTURED ISLANDS

NEW ZEALAND AND SAMOA

The question of tlie position of Now Zealand and Australia, when the war is ended by tlio defeat of Germany, in relation to the captured German colonies in the Pacific, was opened up b.y some statements made at Auckland on Monday by Mr. E. 0. Eliot, Resident Commissioner in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate, who is a passonger from Suva to Sydney by the Makura. Sir,.Eliot is a broiher of Sir Charles Eliot, who was British High Commissioner in Samoa, in 1899 bofore the islands were taken over by Germany. Mr. Eliot considered that it would be a wise course if the captured German colonies in the Pacific were administred for,, say, 25 years, until New Zealand and Australia are ready to control their affairs. H6 thought that the New Zealand Government would find the controlling of affairs in Samoa—to which the Dominion had a strong_ claim —too great a task to undertake in the present, stage of development. He was equally assured that the time was not ■yet ripe for Australia to take ovor German New Guinea, in ,view. of the many problems with which sho was faced. Mr. Eliot had : something interesting to say in regard to Japanese activity in the Pacific. Shortly after the outbreak of hostilities the Australian cruiser Melbourne visited the Island of Nauru, which was in German hands, and hoisted the British-flag there. Tho 40 Germans on tho. island, who were prigaged on tho rich phosphate deposits, removed and interned in Sydney, the island being taken without any opposition. Very shortly afterwards, continued tho commissioner, two Japanese warships visited his headquarters _at Ocean Island, which is about 160 miles to tho east of tho small German possession. The admiral courteously intimated that his visit was for the purpose of inquiring about the German isiiind of Nauru. Tho commissioner, who had taken over the administration of Nauru then informed ,tho admiral that he was too late to acquire that particular island. Since tho capture of the Marshall Islands from Germany, the Japanese appeared to have thoroughly 'established themselves. • Tho commissioner statod that-he had been informed by traders who had visited the islands recently that tho Japanese had tranrisonod tho place and were acting as if .they were permanently established. Personally 'he would not venture to say what the intentions of the Japanese wore.

Speaking of the islands in the Gilbert and Ellice Group. Mr. Eliot stated that they numbered 27. His headquarters were at Ocean Island. Ho had officiated as Resident Commissioner for the past two years an<3 was now on his way bneltvto the group after paying liis fi.rst official visit _to_ Suva to confer with the High Commissioner for the ."Westcm Pacific! Ocean Island, ho said, is also very rich iri phosphate deposits which are worked by about 200_ Japanese and natives of the group.. Prior to the outbreak c 1 war the output amounted to 'about a quarter of a million tons per annum, but it had since been considerably reduced. The native owners of Ocean Island did no work . at all. They received a large sum each voar from the phosphate company which had acquired the rights to work the deposits.