GERMANS IN FTJI

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 33, 8 February 1916, Page 7

GERMANS IN FTJI

ANfD NATIVE UNREST.

GERMAN-OWNED ISLANDS.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

The question of native unrest is beginning to exercise the European mind 111 Fiji in a greater degree. As, in the time of Governor Thurston, when a risiflg was nipped in the bud by the seizure and transportation to Ivadavu ,of the leading rebellious chiefs, there are not wanting well-meaning people who have a superlative faith in the loving nature of the native, and who pooh-pooh the possibility of a native rising. Both fortunately and unfortunately Governor Thurston, in his time, had some painful thoughts of a late relative (Mrs.. Burns), who was slain in a rising in Fiji some years before, and whose maid was converted into a supper by the natives, returned, for the occasion, to cannibalistic habits. Of course, stich things could not happen nowadays—tho natives are civilised now!—so were the Germans before the war commenced. Public opinion, however, is beginning to get a little bit doubtful in Fiji, and whether such doubte are justified the following will show. A CHALLENGE TO THE GOVERNMENT. One of the most prominent business men of Suva (name and address enclosed), who has been 40 years in Fiji, who speaks Fijian like a native, and who is friendly with many of the chiefs, hae just returned from a two months' trip to the Sigatoka district, and has issued to the Government a public challenge to disprove the truth of any one of the following statements. The challenger has handed to the editor of one of the local papers his name and address, together with the names and addresses of his informants (including the friendly chiefs), with full authority to publish the same if the Government will accept his challenge to attempt to disprove the statements. These statements are:—

(1) Three prominent chiefs have admitted to friends that they have reason to know that certain unfriendly tribes contemplate making trouble when Apolosi (a Fijian whocio oratorical powers and promises have made him a god to tho natives, and who has undergone the greater part of his sentence of eighteen months' imprisonment for fraud, is released from prison.

(2) That several attempts have been made to wreck the Colonial Sugar Company's train by putting iron dogs into the shunts,

(3) That after the Viti or Produce Agency (of which the imprisoned Apoloii is the leading luminary) had purchased from the natives at Sigatoka recently all the laminae it required, certain European shippers made offers for the balance, and the natives, in the nresenco of the whites, slashed the fruit \° pieces. (4) On the C.R.5. Co.'s free railway, there is a carriage reserved for Europeans. Recently some European ladica wished to travel, but found the carriage I chock-a-block with sixty natives. When I asked to leave the natives flatly refused. 'The train proceeded on its journey; tho ladies returned to their homes. (5) In the Sigatoka, lyvuka, Lnutoka, Ba and Hα. districts public prayers arc being offered by the natives for the victory of the German arms. At the time of writing this challenge has not been taken up. There is hardly ; GERMAN MACHINATIONS. ' It will probably come as a shock to many patriotic souls in New Zealand to learn that in Fiji, a British Crown colenv, Germans arc treated as brothers beloved. Of the many German-owned and German-run trading concerns in Fiji not one has been interfered with. These estimable German trading concerns have been shippingto America, ever since the war commenced, thousands of sucke of copra and shell—and what else, probably the angels of heaven, tho consignors and the consignees alone knox. Of the scores of German residents in this country not a single one has been interned. Net one! It is rumoured that the Government may yet move in tho matter.

To what extent German machinations arc behind the native unrest it is difficult to estimate. But few people in Fiji arc now inclined to doubt that Teutons arc inspirators of the native prayers for German victories, of the umver sal native belief in many districts that the Germans are bound to win, of the added disrespect of late on the part of the natives for the Government of Fiji, and of the knock-out blows that the owners of the s.s. Adi Kcva got when the natives of Sigatoka recently demanded 10/ a im.T (instead of the customary 2/ to 3/) for loading the vessel. AN MAYOR. At a meeting oi the Levuka Chamber of Commerce, held a fortnight ago, Capt. Bobbie (Mayor of Levuka) made the following remarks, which speak for themselves: — . " I think Levuka stands forward as an exception throughout the British Empire as offering facilities to enemy traders. . . It is not only the trading that affects the community, but undoubtedly there is a German influence going through this colony of which 1 can furnish proof; and from among the Fijians in certain parts of Fiji very displeasing rumours are current, and most disloyal utterances are being made with reference to the termination of hostilities and the probable victor. Levuka la looked down upon bj the whole colony as a harbour for enemy traders, and I think it is high time that this Chamber, in conjunction with the Suva Chamber of Commerce, took steps to approach the Government of this colony, and insist upon the clearance oi our atmosphere." LACK OF STATESMANSHIP.

Dealing with the necessity for the immediate internment of all Germans, and native unrest, the Fiji "Times," on February Ist, made the following pertinent comment: — "As regards the treatment of disaffected natives, we must leave that to the Government, only regretting that our Imperial statesmen have been so singularly ehort-eighted as to lose the opportunity of binding the natives to ourselves in permitting them to share the burdens of Empire in this war. if a hundred or two natives had been fighting against Germany ta - day, ffij would needs bo a bold German who would strive to convince the relatives of those warriors that Germany was going to win. In failing to avail themselves of the services of one of the most splendid native races in the world, our statesmen have revealed a singular lack of foresight, and have checked even, while they boasted of broadening the Imperial, epirit."

I SOURCE OF MUCH TROUBIJB. Perusing the above the reader might well ask: "Why,alone of all British territories in the Pacific should Fiji present such a condition of affairs?" The answer is simply that Fiji is suffering from the horrible infliction of Crown. Colony Government, that initiative killing, heart-breaking system, in which the real authority rests with the Secretary of State for the Colonies, resident in London. The officials in Fiji are, on the whole, quite as capable men as are the officials in New Zealand, but they are tied hand and foot by the native-pamper-ing policy and " malua " of the Colonial Office, which is incapable of grasping the ever-changing local conditions, and whose belated decisions, on matters beyond its knowledge, are fraught with peculiar danger at such a time as this.