GERMANY AND THE PACIFIC

Hokitika Guardian, 4 January 1918, Page 4

GERMANY AND THE PACIFIC

FATE OF HER COLONIES AFTER THE WAR. NEW ZEALAND’S CONCERN. WEiiLixaTOX, Jan 2 The cabled statement that the Allies are going 1 to make a concerted reply to the enemy peace overtures conveys a suggestion that the Allied war aims may be re-stated. This might involve a clearer definition than lias yet been made public ot' the intentions pf the Allies with regard to the German colonies —a matter that concerns New Zealand and the other British Dominions very intimately. The Imperial Government has promised that the Dominions will be consulted when terms of peace involving the fate of the German colonies in the Pacific aud in Africa are being considered. It is presumed that the consultation will take place at another meeting of the Imperial War Council. When last year’s Council dispersed, the representatives of the United Kingdom and the Dominions understood that they would meet again this year, and the month of April was mentioned, but the Council has not yet been summoned, and as far as the public knows no date has yet been fixed.

Replying to a queotion put by a “ Dominion ” reporter, the Prime Minister stated that the question of New Zealand’s representation at the War Council this year had yet to be considered by the Government. The matter would come before Cabinet at an early date.

STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER, Wklljxgton, Jan 2 The Government has been making representations to the Imperial Government in regard to the strongfeeling existing here as to any proposal to hand back to Germany the islands in the Pacific now held by British forces; also the probable difficulties of competing with a leading German firm which has been doing business in these islands—the Deutsche Handels and Plantagen Gesselschaft Company. Mr Massey, alluding to-da} r to the question of New Zealand and the island trade, stated that the Government was very anxious that the whole business of the Deutsche Handels and Plantagen Gesselschaft Company should be taken over by New Zealanders, and it was exceeding disappointing that only a comparatively small part of it came to the Dominion. The difficulty on the part of New Zealanders had been the uncertainty with regard to the future of the islands—whether they would become British territory in the ordinary sense of the term, or whether after the war—though they were now in the possession of British troops — the islands would go back to Germany.

“ Speaking- for myself,” added Mr Massey, “I am confident that with the opening of the Panama Canal these islands yvill become very important, and the British people in the Pacific cannot be too careful to see that mistakes such as those which occurred in the past are not repeated.” '