PAPUA MANDATE.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17814, 13 July 1923, Page 9

PAPUA MANDATE.

AUSTRALIAN ADMINISTRATION CRITICISED. GERMAN PROPAGANDA ALLEGED (BT CABLE —PEES 3 A.SSOCIATIOK—COPTKIGHT.) (AU3TBALIAN AKD N.2. CABLB ASSOCIATION.) MELBOURNE, July 12. In the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister, Mr S. M. Bruce, announced that the Minisber-in-Charge would visit New Guinea personally during the recess to investigate charges against the administration-made by the. Mandates Commission of the Leaguo of Nations.. A Parliamentary delegation would also pay a vistfc. Referring to newspaper criticism, Mr Bruce added that he possessed definite information that well-organised propaganda was being conducted by Germans interested in discrediting Australia as a mandator}' Power. Later. During the course of his speech in the House of Representatives, Mr Bruce stated, regarding Now Guinea, that when the Australian delegates attended the League of Nations Assembly in September last they discovered that pamphlets had been distributed to nil but the Australian members. Tho pamphlets contained charges somewhat similar to those made recently. These pamphlets were printed in very large numbers, 30,000 copies of one being distributed. They were signed by the "League of German Patriots." The Prime Minister claimed that the work of the Board of Administration had been much more satisfactory than recent criticisms made it appear. Mr Bruce then traversed and denied many of the charges. The only important matters remaining to be dealt with, he said, were the completion of land transfers and the oil research ordinance. He admitted that there had been some loss on the copra plantations, but asked the House to view with the greatest caution criticisms of the administration. Mr M. Charlton, Leader of the Opposition, urged that the charges should be fully probed. An official denial would not satisfy the League of Nations."A delegation of members of the House should immediately be sent to New Guinea to make a complete investigation.