NATIVE LOYALTY TO BRITAIN.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 February 1918, Page 5

NATIVE LOYALTY TO BRITAIN.

The British and American policy of trusting the people may have failures, but it has successes impossible to German lav methods, remarks Bishop Frodham. A case in point has arisen in the Gilbert and Ellice IslancTs, which are adjacent to the Marshalls. When it was rumoured that the native race were being allowed to take their place with the British troops to fight against the hated Germans, the islands under British protection volunteered to a man. When it was learned that their services could not be utilised, the natives of Ocean Island asked leave to give all their phosphate royalty to patriotic funds, and were with difficulty persuaded to limit their gift to £IOOO, by the warning of possible future droughts. At a meeting of the labourers of the Pacific Phosphate Company, held at Ocean Island, by the request of the Gilbert and Ellice employees, it was suggested that each man should give jss from his deferred pay. The immediate answer was: "We want to give al our deferred pay.»-amoiinting to about £ls per head. When the contribution was eventually raised to 10s each, the limit permitted, great disappointment was expressed. These facts, condensed from the latest official report, receive greater importance when it is realised that the*natives in th lS little colony are not only poor, but are faced by a serious drought in which they will have to live from nand to mouth for a year or more