The Fate of the Papuans

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 145, 30 May 1891, Page 3

The Fate of the Papuans

.Mr Hume Nisbet has an article in the Fortnightly, which is rather grim reading. He describes the condition of things in New Guinea,' and asserts that the Germans in the northern part of that island are killing out the natives with scientific precision and absolute indifference to the rights of the aborigines. The Germans maintain that England ißade over to them the whole of the .territory, and .that the. native rights do hot count. Mr Nisbet considers that the • whole of the Papuans in the German part of the island will soon be killed off either by massacre or by being driven over the mountains into bur part. Of course we have no right whatever to make over to the Germans any of the possessions of, the natives. All we did was to. allow, the Germans to exercise sovereignity over the island, .which we ought to have taken under our protection long ago. On our own side of the Island massacre is, not system atised, nor have we essayed to clear the ground, but we are still far from fulfilling the responsibilities of our position. Mr . Nisbet mentions the example of an honest tradesman, Mr Keswick, who lives at Teste Island. He' treats the natives fairly and honestly, paying for what be uses," and employihgthem for fair wages. The aborigines were considered to be the most dangerous and treacherous along the coast, but he is obeyed with affection by the natives who regard him as a father. Mr Nisbet would like to nniversalise Mr Keswick's treatment, but in that case we should have to send out a sufficiently strong force to ad- ! minister justice, and to protect our boundary lines- from the German invaders, who are almost certain to crowd in from the north as soon as they have cleared their own part of the island. The difficulty about this is, of course, the question of finances. Where is the money ;to come from ? - This Mr Nisbet does not answer. — Review of Reviews. -