GERMAN TREATMENT OF NATIVES"

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2971, 8 January 1917, Page 8

GERMAN TREATMENT OF NATIVES"

INHUMANITY IN SOUTH-WEST AFRICA.

A Blue Book hns just been issued from tho Colonial Office containing the reports of trials of Germans for the murder and ill-treatment of natives in C| South-west Africa. s; In April of the present year the Ger- L, man Government, through the Ameri- v can Embassy in London, protested V| against the sentence of five years' im- „ prisonment passed by a British Civil jj Court on a German non-commissioned r officer named Walter Bbhmer for the j manslaughter of two Hereros. A report on the case received from Lord " Buxlon states that on May 21, 1915", . four native servants of a neighbour of j Bolnner's deserted from their service . after some form of dispute with their master, and set out for Windhoek. Bohmer was told of this by telephone. Tlieso natives had to pass Bohmer's farm, and when they approached his homestead ho got ready his weapons, a combination gun, and si double-bar-relled shot-gun, and summoned his ownnatives to his assistance. He then called to the four men to approach, and they did so. Bohmer says that when they were ten paces away he ■ordered them to stop and sit down, that they refused and continued to approach slowly, that one at least had a kerrie in his hand, and that he fired because he was afraid this would be thrown at him. He did not go so far as to say definitely that this man mado any actual motion as if to throw the kerrie. Ho lired in all four or five sbots, and each of the first two, from the shot-gun, killed one of tho natives. The other two natives ran away, hoth being wounded in their flight. The medical evidence to the effect that one of the men was shot in the right breast and the other in the fight side, both at from ten to fifteen paces distance, does not corroborate Bohmer's story that the natives were advancing upon him when he fired. The Court found Bohmer guilty of intentional killing without deliberation, and sentenced him to five years' imprisonment. Bohmor did not raise the defence that he was at the time a rocmher of a military organisation, acting in accordance with his duty in that capacity. In fact, this position has never before been put forward in connection with the case, although it has been the subject on more than one occasion of representations to the Administrator by local German officials. The offence was committed in territory already in-the occupation of Union military forces. J.u 1912 Bohmer was convicted by a Protectorate Court of beating to death with a makoss a native who was in a weak condition and consumptive. He tied his victim hand and foot, and beat him till he himself was tired", and then called on his native' servants to continue the thrashing. For this.offenco ho was fined £50 or 100 days' imprisonment, and tho Court commented severely on. the inhumanity of his conduct; but found mitigating circumstances. Numerous cases of a character similar in general features to the charge against Bohmer had como before the Special Criminal Court of tho Protectorate- since it was constituted in October, 1915, and tho Dominion Ministers say no reason for interfering with tho decision of tho Court in this case or others of a similar nature. In another case it was proved that a German farmer named Antonius Setecki tied a rieni round tho neck of a native boy, threw tho rieni over a branch of a tree, and hoisted tho boy up till his toes just touched, the ground. This was repeated three times at intervals. For assault with intent to do bodily harm Setecki was fined £100 or nine months' hard labour. For tho murder of another native, a German police officer was sentenced to two years' hard , labour. The boy, who had escaped and was recaptuied, had his hands tied behind him, and was put, in leg-irons. While in this position, and unable to move, the German policeman kicked the, boy severely, and stamped on him, with tho result that he died on the following day. An Austrian subject named Cany Ycmileth, holding a commission in the German army, was charged with tho murder of two natives, one a man and tho other a woman. They were tried by "a Court of sorts," consisting of Lieutenant Venuleth and two non-com-missioned officers, and though the natives were not' brought before the Court, no .charge being brought against them, and no evidence being called, they were fouud guilty on the.ground that they were a danger to tho safety and secrecy of the German military occupation, and were shot. The Court which tried Vonuleth for murder held, "not without difficulty," that tho natives were not executed exclusively for stock, thefts, as was suggested, but partly for acts that were treasonable, and, giving Venuleth the benefit of tho doubt, acquitted him.