(Germans in the South Pacific.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 83, 3 January 1885, Page 6

(Germans in the South Pacific.

Tur. piok.-b-. of Australia .against the annexation of northern Now Guinea and adjacent islands may caiihC irritiiUon, but it is hard io t-ee what good they can do. England had no pre-emptive right over tho whojo ol tho South l'aciiic, and tho German Government. seems tohavo icspecten British opinion so far that it waited until Great Britain had tho example of annexation, and, aftei months of deliberation, had determined on the territories it de<=ircd to possess According to one tolcgrara, there Ims been .some misrepresentation, false promise, and bad faith ovor lhe transaction, although that willpvobablytuin out to be unauthentica*od. In establishing its authority over areas' which tho British Government had distinctly, and after much pressure, declined to doahwith, Germany did nothing which its Government had occasion to conceal, or that was not perfectly open to any other European Power. After their experience of French notions of colonisation, Australians will prefer tho Germans to any increaso of French influence. We beliovo, however, that none of the annexed territories north of Australia will ever be extensively populated by white races. The Anglo-Saxon, bred in tho tomporate climates of Australia and New Zouland, ia bound to dominate the South Pacific, and tho British occupation of tho southorn half of New G-uinca. having secured these possessions against an enemy monacinj* tho northern coiasta of Queensland, thero is jio occasion for alarm concerning tlic advont of Germany into the field of colonising enterprise. The Australian excitement will hardly be shared by the Government of this colony, if the tone of Sir Julius VogeVa memorandum on the annexation of Wew Guinea bespeaks ihe, mind of the Cabinet. The Treasurer considered the New Guinea

question as only very remotely affecting this colony. From a military and naval standpoint, colonisation will rather be a sources of weakness than of strength to Germany, and will keep her war vessels occupied in protecting « her own territory instead of attacking the Australian colonies in the improbable event of a war with England. New Guinea is a very large country ; England has done nothing towards settling it— the Dutch had prior claims. Neither England nor Australia can colonise New Guinea within the next century, and it is expecting rather too' much of German forbearance to suppose that if Prince Bismarck has resolved upon a colonising policy, he will be turned aside trom it because the Aomier of Victoria, is discontented with England' i'or refusing to annex territories which sho is not in a position to settle or govern profitably.