PLACES IN THE SUN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1904, 19 November 1918, Page 1

PLACES IN THE SUN.

GERMANY’S LOST COLONIES. A RECORD OF VANISHED HOPE. At the outbreak of war, Germany bad the following' oversea possessions : In Africa : I. South-west Africa, 322,450 square miles, bordering upon the Union of South Africa on the south, Bechuiinaland on the cast, and Portuguese Angola on the north. 2. The Camcroous (191,130 square miles) lying between Nigeria, the Soudan, and French Equatorial Africa. 3. Togoland (33,700 square miles, west of Nigeria. 4. German East Africa (3-13,318 square miles), surrounded by British East Africa on the north, the Belgian Congo on the west, and Rhodesia and Portuguese East Africa on the south. In the Pacific; 1. The northern part of the eastern -half or New Guinea (70,000 square miles) with the outlying islands of the Bismarck Archipelago. 2. The Padrone or Marianne, Caroline, and Marshall Archipelagoes (about 500 s,qua re miles) lying north and norlh-e.asl of New Guinea. 3. Part of Samoa (1,000 square miles). In Asia: A small “concession" at Kino ClTau (200 square miles) on the coast of Shantung, leased for 0!) years from the Chinese, but turned into an apparently permanent stronghold by the fortification of Tsingtau. These colonies formed the Skeleton of a future empire of much greater cohesion, and in Africa Germany hoped to establish a solid belt of colonial territory extending across the Continent, by the acquisition of the 'Belgian Congo. Outside Africa her colonies must be regarded as ebielly valuable as naval bases. Nowhere had the Germans shown any genius for the colonisation of the acquired territories in I lie true sense, and their efforts were chiefly notable for their senseless brutality. To-day not a vestige of (he late German colonies is in German hands. On 291 h August, the first force despatched from New Zealand landed in Samoa and took possession. German New Guinea, or-Kaiser Wilhelm's Land, was occupied by au Australian force at the end of September without serious opposition, and a branch form 1 , after some fighting, seized the Bismarck Archipelago. Early in October the Japanese took possession of flic chief islands of the Caroline, Lardone, and Marshall groups', and Germany’s footholds in the Pacific were all gone. The fortress at Tsingtau enabled the German pied-a-terre in Asia to he stoutly defended, and its capture was ipiile a serious opera I ion. A Japanese ultimatum sent on 15lh August demanded thal the- German warships (mostly small vessels) should he withdrawn from Chinese and Japanese wafers, and the whole Kaioehau given up to Japan for event mil return (o China. No reply was sent, and Japan declared war on 23rd August. Austria-Hun-gary. which had a cruiser at Kaioehau, declared war on Japan two days later. On the 27th the Japanese blockaded the harbour, and operating from adjacent islands which had been seized, proceeded to the attack. On 18th September troops were landed, and a small British force joined them on the 24th. The fortress finally surrendered on 7th November, .191-1. The .Austrian cruiser and most of the German warships had been sunk by the attackers or by llieir oavii crews. The first of the African colonics to fall was Togoland, which surrendered on August, 1914. The capital of 11k; Camcroous, Daala, was occupied by Allied iroops in September, (ml the German forces continued guerilla warfare stubbouly, and it was not until February, 191 G, that the conquest; was completed. German South-west Africa succumbed to a brilliant campaign conducted by General Botha, who by the end of December, 1914, had stamped out the South African rebellion and was free to take a share in the work of the Empire. Preliminary movements, including the occupation of Luderitz Bay, had begun as early as September, but bad been suspended by the rebellion. AValfiseh Bay was taken on Christinas Day, and Swayopmund on the 14th January, 1915. The Germans’ position was hopeless, but they compelled the South African forces to carry out the campaign to the bitter end. On 12th May, Windhuk, the capital, was entered, and finally the German forces surrendered unconditionally on 9th July, 1915. The East African campaign was even more drawn out. Whereas in South-west Africa the chief natural difficulties were those of the desert areas, in East Africa the jungle were still hunting the German troops provided the greatest obstacles. The ‘influence of these elements ean be

realised when it is stilted tint South-west AfTieo and German East Africa are both larger than New South Wales. The East African campaign gradually eliminated the strong German forces which were originally organised, lint Hu? dwindling remnant, though herded about the vast country, refused to surrender. It was December, 1917, before the conquest could be regarded as complete, and for many months .after that the British forces were still hunting the German troop .about the fringes of the colony,