CANNIBALS IN WEST NEW GUINEA

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28346, 3 August 1957, Page 10

CANNIBALS IN WEST NEW GUINEA

Disappearance Of Japanese Task Force

I By JACK PERCIVAL]

' SYDNEY, July 29. DECENTLY an Australian helicopter pilot reported that Dutch advance patrols on the south coast of West New Guinea' haa discovered a nevV race of cannibals which ate a whole Japanese task force during World War 11. Soon the Dutch will penetrate the cannibal country to made contact with a new people. From Merauke and Tanah Merah the Dutch are mounting one of the largest exploratory expeditions of modern times.

The helicopter pilot, Roy Jones, of Newcastle, is gy ing for World Wide Air Services which sent across the border from Australian New Guinea two Bell helicopters to assist the Dutch to lay down supplies for their expedition. During the building of airstrips and laying down of supplies for the expedition, which will penetrate the interior for the first time to the Star Mountains, advance parties have found that during the war the Japanese Navy landed a task force of marines near Merauke to attack the strip which was built by the Royal Australian Air Force. The Japanese-were-attacked by the cannibals and wiped but The last Japanese fled from the coast toward the interior. There they were literally fenced in, killed and put into cooking pots as and when required. Without Trace The Dutch advance party has not yet been able to collect full details of the massacre of the Japanese. But Japanese New Guinea Command records in Tokyo show that a complete unit of about 2500 Imperial Marines disappeared without. trace after being landed on the south coast of West New Guinea between Merauke and Dah.

The recent Japanese War Graves Commission which visited New Guinea to recover remains of Imperial troops was puzzled about disparities in the numbers of graves and the numbers of troops known to have been sent to New Guinea.

Now the cannibals in the area are on the march again. According to reports received recently from Merauke. and Tanah Merah. they have driven more than 2000 coastal villagers into the sanctuary of Fredrik Hendrik Island, which lies across Torres Strait off Cape WbsSel.

The Dutch expedition now being organised hopes to open up more than 1000 miles of virgin territory at present only' a blank, spot on maps. It is rugged terrain in which Mount Carstenz (16,500 ft Mount Juliana (15.400 ft and Mount Wilhelmina (15,600 ft rear far above the clouds. Big Native Population Great rivers course through the valleys, waterfalls topple over drops of hundreds of feet, and dense communities of natives live along the river banks in villages surrounded with stockades and watch towers.

Around the populated valleys the mountains reach such heights that the -tropica] sun cannot melt the snow.

Dutch official quarters claim that the planned expedition will be their largest to an unknown tropical region It will cost more than £lOO,OOO. and will have at its disposal helicopters and Twin Pioneer and de Haviland Beaver aircraft.

About 100 people will participate, including a platoon of Dutch marines. Principally it will be a scientific exploration trip with a nucleus of 10 specialists.

will be agronomy, anthropology, botany, geology, cartography, zoology, ethnography and geography.

Chief scientist will be Dr. Ir. F. A. Vening Meinesz, who made a world trip i.i the Dutch submarine K.lB, carrying out experiments in geology and deep-sea sounding. During preliminary exploration work for the expedition, Mr Schoorl, an aammistrative officer, met mountain Papuans still living in the stone age, who had not previously seen white men. It is still uncertain if these Papuans are peaceful. Mr Schoorl reported that their . methods of warfare and revenge are very different from the pattern of natives on the coast. No Head Hunting There is n-> bead hunting in the mountain area, but there is cannibalism, he says. Tanah Merah on the Digul river, has been chosen as base for all expedition shipments. Suitable sites have been found in the Star Mountains area for the building of airstrips - The expedition hopes to find the source of the Digul river. Civil air pilot- Will maintain services to the expedition, 'which will be equipped wth wireless receiving and tra ismitting sets and geiger counters to seek out minerals. ■

A new strip already has been built at Mindiptanah. At this strip Lieutenant-Commander Venma. technical leader of. the expedition, has set up headquarters to organise the shipment of supplies. Aircraft used by the expedition will be serviced in Australian New Guinea and at Sydney. The Scottish. Aviation Twin Pioneer aircraft which will be the

work horse for the expedition can take off after a run of only 100 yards., An ingenious system of slots and flaps enables it to climb as if a large magnet is hidden above the clouds. Balliem Valley Simultaneous»with plans for the Star Mountains expeditiohs, the Dutch have established a permanent centre of adminis'ration in the Balliem Valley. In this valley, where the American scientist, Richard Archbold discovered a hitherto unknown community of 60,000 in 1928, it is planned to build a landing strip of 2000 ft near the Wameni river, a tributary of the Balliem riyer.

The Balliem Valley, the Great Valley or Shangri-la, as it *is sometimes called, became worldfamous in May, 1945; when afi American Air Force Dakota with 23 aboard, including a woman, crash-landed on its floor.

Therp were only three survivors and they were got out by parachutists'and gliders. Today' when aircraft fly over this valley on their way from HoR landia to Merauke, natives mar** ning the village watchtowers ffire arrows at their hulls. • One aircraft which made a low tuff over the valley . recently arrived at its destination so full of arrows that it looked like a pin cushion. Before the Pacific war it was estimated indigenous population oik West New Guinea did . not exceed 300,000. Sfien aricraft which have er new areas have diswhich have the estimate up to more ne million.—Associated m Feature Services. > J