THE RUMOURED ANNEXATION OF TONGA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 224, 19 October 1903, Page 2

THE RUMOURED ANNEXATION OF TONGA.

CONSIDERED IMPROBABLE.. Per Press Association,. Received 16, 9.48 ».m_ Sydney, October 17. The German Vicfl-Oonwil here states that no official information has been received at the Consulate as to the reported annexation of Tonga. He did not know whether suob a condition of things was contemplated or not. The Rev. Brows, General Secretary of the Methodist Mission, cannot set bow there c .uld be any foundation for the report, seeing that Germany agreed to relinquish any supposed rights aht had in Tonga when the ftamoan agreement was entered into. Received 19,1.4 a.ro. Sydney, October 18. The Methodist Mission JBoard soouts the idea of the annexation of Tonga.

By the Anglo-German agreement ef 1899 the claims of Germany on the Tvngan and Friendly Islands and of Great Britain on the Samoan archipelago were withdrawn, and a protectorate was proclaimed in the following year. The islands are situated in the Southern Pacifio, east-south east of Fiji, and 390 miles therefrom, with an area of 385 square miles and a population cf about twenty thousand. The import* to the group reach about £75,000 annually, practically divided between New Zealand and New South Wales* and the exports a lilt' l - lea*, New South Wales taking about £23,000 worth and New Znland £14,000. Under the agreement mentioned abovp, the Solomon Islands east and south-east of Bougainville were ceded to the United Eingdon, that acquisi* tion consisting of the islands of (Jhoi« soul and Ysabel, Lord Howe's group, and maDy smaller islands. The islands *re about 500 miles east of New Guinea, stretching 500 miles south-east iin two parallel ohains. Their total area is 16,927 square miles. Th» people, numbering about 176,000, ar» drbcribed as cruel and savage and wear little or no clothing.