GERMAN BLUNDERS.

Bruce Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 73, 17 September 1917, Page 1

GERMAN BLUNDERS.

COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION. A CONTRAST IN METHODS. '.German East Africa affords a good example of Germany's mistakes in colonial administration. The reasons for her failures are not far to seek. Ccn-. tunes of experience have taught us that the sceptre of Empire is not the sword; that the few can rule the many by force of character and will, not arms. The Teuton mind, however, is incapable of grasping these essential facts. According to his theory pacilicisin must be enforced by the Prussian jack-boot, while cruelty is a perfectly proper method of colonisation, f General Von Licbcrt, a former Gov-J crnor of East Africa, in giving cvi-i donee in a Court of Law in 1907, declared that 'in Africa it is impossible to get on without cruelty,' and the history of the last colony to fall from German hands amply proves that this thoroughly German doctrino has been carried out witli true German thoroughness. It was in ISSO that German East Africa became a German possession. Dr Karl-- Peters concluded twelve treaties with native chiefs by methods typically Prussian, and his Government established a protectorate over the country. In the early history of the colony administration was very' bad. Men of the type of Earl Peters and his underlings by their treatment of the natives left a deep stain on the name of the white man in Africa. Later, under the Governorship of Von Gotzcn and Von Schnec (who, it may) bo mentioned, married a New Zealand [ lady), some improvement was made, I but the system in vogue to-day still j differs widely from that so successful- 1 ly adopted by the British in the adjoining territory. In German East Africa, for example, | some of the tribes arc administered by native officials called Aridas. These men are responsible for the collection of taxes, and have the power of inflicting corporal, punishment for minor offences. No such system exists in British East Africa, nor, indeed, can justice be administered by any individual native. In so far as Germany is capable of consideration towards a subject race, special favour has been shown to the Arab population along the coast, whose attitude towards the native is not dissimilar to their masters. "While British legislation abolished slavery entirely, the German law of 1901 provided only for the freedom of children bom to house slaves after December 01, 1905. Thus the Arabs while unable to acquire new slaves, were able to remain in possession of those they already had. Financially the Arabs are better off under German than British rule, but they do not pre- , fcr it.

'Not for all the riches of the world would I live under the German flag. The Germans are a coarse, proud, mannerless and boastful nation, who caro nothing for the people they govern. Their officers are unapproachable, and . will not listen to a complaint or grievance. Justice is as unknown as it is at Muscat.' That is the opinion of a prominent Arab trader, and it sums up the faults and blemishes of German colonial administration. Kindness and patience combined with iirmncss, which arc the keynotes of our system, the German official has no use for. On. the contrary, as we have seen, he considers cruelty a necessity, and no one is disposed to dismiss as incredible the stories of brutal, floggings and other barbarities practised by the Germans on their unfortunate subjects, even if they are not perpetrated as openly as before. The interior of German East Africa was once the happy hunting ground of Zippo Zee and other slave traders. Germany .apparently believes that a similar system of oppression is necessary for the government of the country. Kcfcrcnce has been made to Dr Peters. This choice scoundrel was tried by court-martial for atrocities, of a particularly sordid character committed in the Kilimanjaro district in 1891 and IS ( J2. As a result of the trial he was dismissed the- service 'for having given false reports of his actions when explanations were demanded dt° him by his superiors.' The Court of Appeali at Leipzig confirmed the decision, but Peters had many sympathisers in Germany. Although the. evidence given at both courts showed that he had been guilty of revolting cruelties, the grateful subjects of the Fatherland subscribed a large sum of money for the purpose of erecting a statue of him at Dar-cs-Salaam. Recently he wrote a book denouncing Great Britain's alleged iIJ-tTcatmcnt of interned Germans and bemoaning the wretchedness of his unfortunate | compatriots in London. Could anyI thing better illustrate the peculiarity i of the Teuton mind?