THE GERMAN COLONIES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16325, 24 September 1918, Page 6

THE GERMAN COLONIES.

POST-WAR PROPOSALS. ROYAL COLONIAL INSTITUTE'S ATTITUDE. A general mectirg of fellows of the ' Canterbury branch of the Royal Colo- ! nial Institute was held yesterday, Sir ! John Denmslon presiding, to discuss and confirm the resolution passed by tho council of the Institute in London, regarding German colonies, which runs as follows:— , "Tho Council of tho Royal Colonial Institute, in view of the coming Imperial Conference, wish to express with all respect, bnt in the strougest terms, their view which they believe to bo almost universally shared throughout the Enipirc, that alike in the interests of the Empire and in the interests of tho Native Races concerned, no ono of the former German possessions beyond tho seus should bo restored to Germany." The Hon. TV. H. TViggs, M.L.C., in moving the confirmation of the resolution, said he was sure that members of the local branch of tho Institute felt with the council that there should be no such thing as handing Germany s colonies to her after the war. SpeaKing with special referenco to Samoa, Mr Triggs said there was a very strong foelinc amongst tho people of Now Zealann that Samoa should not handed back. With the aid of the Uritisli Navy, New Zealand troops ha'l managed to wrest that colony fro.n Germany, and he wos sure that 60 far as Ne-\v Zealand was concerned, there was the strongost feeling that if Samoa were handed back to Germany, if wo were to havo at our door a nest of Gorman submarines and aeroplanes, then one of the objects our boys wore fighting for would bo brought to nought. He wished, however, to deal with the question on wider grounds. He would bo prepared to accept the principle roccntly laid down by Dr. Solf to tho effect that States which endeavoured before the war to respect humanity and the coloured races had won a moral right to be colonial powers. One must, he said, be fair even to o German, ana with I>r. Solf, during his governorship of Samoa, little fault could be found. Ho was a German, of the better sort. It must also be remembered with regard to Samoa, that it was, as it were, under the eyes of ' the United States and Great Britaia. and events which might pass notice in Africa, coijld not take place there. The some thing could not, however, bo Baid of New Guinea, where executions and floSgmgs of natives bad been frequent, nor of the Marshall Islauds, where the Gorman official in charge had deliberately refrained, for very good reasons, from # doing his duty in recording every flogging administered to natives. Even Dr. Solf had expatiated on the sao state of the existing conditions amongst the natives under Germany's regime. To havo an insight into Germany's ''humanity" in dealing with natives, one had only to read the policy of Dr. Carl Peters, formerly in charge at Kilimanjaro, who had (suggested a most brutal policy in the way of subduing the natives and getting every ounce out of them for Germany, which policy had been carried out with the utmost zeal. Mr Triggs went on to quote many instances of inhuman 1 cruelty on the part of the Germans towards African natives, and incidentally he remarked that the instances he had given vere not by any means the worst. He added that tho pamphlet fiom which he hod been quoting had been compiled by tho librarian of tho Royal Colonial Institute from the most careful evidence, and in many instances from made during debates In the Reichstag. For such reasons alone he contended, there should be no thought of allowing Germany to regain her oolonies. Mr George Jameson seconded the motion. Mr George Humphreys expressed himself as fully in accord with the sentiments expressed by Mr Triggs. Sir John Denniston expressed nis approval of the fact that the motion of the London Council hod been worded moderately, instead of in the way of a "demand," of which there was too much nowadays. We had. he said, to take our chance in tlie melee wliic'i must-follow the war, and trust that the justice of t our cause would receive full consideration. There was no need, ho thought, to comment on tho necessity for such a programme as that suggested being carried out. The only thing was h-j-v, far those fighting for a decent world would bo able to cnforce their demands. It was an absolute and vital necessity that this part of the worlrl should be kept safe. The motion was then put and carried unanimously.