BELGIANS IN EAST AFRICA.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 March 1917, Page 8

BELGIANS IN EAST AFRICA.

HOW THEY HELPED. OCCUPATION OF TABORA. Renter's Agency recently received from one who was present a dramatic account of the. entry o'f the Belgian Army into Tabora and the final flight of the Germans into the marshy region in the south, where they are now gradually being rounded up. It is extraordinary that relatively so small a force as that under the command of General I'ombeur should have attempted a feat which to many seemed almost impossible. In this connection a tribute is paid to the loyalty of the King of Uganda, who supplied' for this army 15,000 porters under their own' chiefs, all this transport being under the command of British officers from Uganda.

Four days before the fall of Tabora those who were in the town heard heavy gun-fire resulting from a day's engagement which was taking place some distance to the north. That evening the Germans ran up the white flag and began to evacuate t« nl:i:c. The fact, however, that a stray cow got on to the railway, and, upsetting soir.e trucks, caused a stoppage of traffic, compelled tho. Germans to return, and on doing so they found that their position was not so bad as they had at first thought Thereupon they hauled down the white flag and again raised the German ensign.

, OCCUPATION OF TABORA. During the next few days the Belgians Army from the west made further progress, and after a slight engagement in tiie early, morning the Germans found that their position was untenable, and that if they remained they would bo caught between the two Belgian columns. Accordingly they packed off and cleared to the south and east, leaving behind them in Tabora about 150 military whites (Germans) in hospital, twothirds of whom were in reality quite able to leave. In addition they left behind them a large number of civilian men and women, also Germans. At the Earliest possible moment a considerable number of the German military discarded their uniforms and dressed in civilian clothes.

The Belgian advance guard reached the town about eleven in the morning, and the main force earne in during the afternoon. For months the Belgian eolmmis had been fighting and marching under the greatest difficulties', often through dense bush, and swamps, from which in some cases soldiers could not be extricated. The German white flag was at once-hauled down and replaced by the Belgian flag at the big fort. Tlu: scene was one of the greatest enthusiasm and rejoicing. Thousands of Africans and Arabs who had been under German rule turned out to welcome the Belgians, and the whole town was ablaze with British, French, Belgian, and Italian flags. The scene, as the thousands of Belgian troops, marching eight abreast, came in, occasionally singing wild chants, was most impressive, and the men all sepmed in good condition considering the great hardships they had undergone. GERMAN TREACHERY. The Belgian commanders allowed full liberty to the German civilians who had been left behind, but in a few -da^/they found that their confidence had been misplaced and that the enemy had begun to stir up the natives to revolt, and also to cut the telegraphs. Those of military age were then interned in a civilian camp. The natives all over German East Africa welcomed the advance of the Allied troops, and even the German native soldiers in many eases said that they were tired of serving the Germans. Over' and over again large number of German troops were prepared to run away. The Germans always regarded the Tabora district as being the most loyal and dependable in their colony, yet when the Germans endeavored to recruit men from the great Sultans in the neighborhood they were entirely unsuccessful. The big chiefs point blank refused to supply any people either as soldiers or as porters. Later on they even secretly proposed a scheme whereby they should wipe out all German men, women and children, saying that they would no longer submit to German tyranny. In reply they were told that the British and Belgians would soon have control of the country, whereupon tyranny would cease. The fall of the German inland capital was the cause of general rejoicing among the natives, and the common cry was: "The people of 15 have pone away. May they never return." (The 15 refers to the minimum number of lashes given for trivial offences). It is a significant fact that in this region, the only one where Germans had any real hold, the whole of the population should have rejoiced nt the overthrow of their former rulers. German Askaris deserted in wholesale fashion an J. even before the fall of Tabora sufficent men to form a couple of regiments went over to the Allies. The natives declare that the Germans do not know what justice is. They would regavd with terror any possibility of their return, for they know what that would mean. In one district where a small British column temporarily occupied the natives the latter were massacred when the Germans returned. The rnerny adopted every possible device to gh■£" the campaign the character of a holy war, but were entirely unsuccesful. They had the green Mahomedan flag proclaiming a Jehad flown at all railway stations, yet at the same time they issued instructions to district commissioners to see that the people bred pigs.