THE GERMAN COLONIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 253, 13 July 1918, Page 8

THE GERMAN COLONIES

Sir,—Will you kindly allow me space . to reply to Mr. Matheson and others re giving Samoa back to the Germans? I might state for your information that • 1 .in the early 'sixties the Sultan of Zanzibar was under British protection. There was a firm of peaceful German merchants established on the Island of Zanzibar. They made things so troublesome with the niggers that the Sultan appealed to the British Government for protection, which caused the mustering of a British fleet there. When things were quietened down they dispersed, and ; we were left to protect the old man. By arrangement with the British Consul'pur [ .skipper took about fourteen of us offi--1 cors on shore to pav our respects to the • old man.. We niado a very good show j with our brass binding, the Sultan re- ' ceived us surrounded by his eunuch ' guard, and' eacli one was introduced by ' the Consul. Among other things tho 1 Sultan promised us the half of his king- ' dom, and he placed his stables at our ' disposal, which offer we were very clad to accept. Unfortunately, however, this ' led to trouble. The gentle German was " always ready to make any trouble he : could; the horses were unbroken—they ' used to take charge of us. One day it > happened to be inv luck with a brother > officer .to be on shore on a riding excursion when our servant came into the hotel (by courtesy called an hotel) where we were, and told us that there was a big row in the town—a British officer had killed a woman by furiously riding over her. I looked over at my friend, , \ and be said that his horse bolted with t him and ran. into an Arab funeral. Tho Germans, of course, made all they could '. out of this, but it was settled "by secret \ service money, as the funeral happened to be tho funeral of an old slnvo woman. The English Consul and the captain ar- , ranged a signal of blue lights and rockj. ets if we wore wanted to come on shore, j Tho Germans got hold of the signal I somehow or other, alid brought us a ashore dno night. When tl'ie niggers v found how quickly we could come they s quietened down, and we were not wanted , any more. Please notice how quickly ' they got hold of our signals.—l.am, etc., f " •' • C. S.'MAINWAKI.NG. j Ngaio, July 12.