A SENSATIONAL EXPOSURE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 305, 13 September 1918, Page 5

A SENSATIONAL EXPOSURE

HUNS' COLONIAL RULE A DAMNING INDICTMENT GERMAN FIENDS IN SOUTH. WEST AFRICA London, September 11. Mr. E. H. L. Gorges, O.M.G. (Administrator of South-West Africa) lias presented ono of the most sensational reports yet issued in connection with the German colonial methods. It constitutes a damning indictment of German fitness to rule black native races. It is brimful of welkiuthentieated instances of rapine, murder, and lust, of chicanery and knavery, and of the despoliation of the" simple and harmless natives in South-West Africa. Tho evidence on which the report is based is drawn from official German documents at Windoek, from sworn statements by native chiefs and Europeans familiar with the country, from writings by Leutwein, who was Governor from 1894 to 1905, Dr. Paul Rohrbaoh, Professor Dr. Karl Dove, and other unimpoaohable German sources. Altogether tho report constitutes a telling reply to Dr. Self's recent claim that Germany's humane treatment of native races before the war had won for her the moral right to be a great colonial Power. In view of this claim, the statement by Gorges is interesting. "Jfa-tive opinion hero is unanimously against any idea- of their over beiiifr, handed back to tho tender mercies of Germany. Any suggestion of the possibility of an aot of this kind on the part of Britain produces tho utmost consternation." The report shows that the first twenty-five years of German mlo in South-West Africa is an unbroken record of officinl bad faith, private oppression, cruelty, barbarities, and robberies, culminating in the Herero and Hottentot rebellions. During the first seventeen years thoro was no law for tho natives, and such'protection as the law eventually provided indicated r.o consideration for humanity, but was devised in order to exploit tho ratives as labourers. When the Germans first arrived they entored into agreements with native ohiofs, but these became "scraps of paper." The natives were fraudulently deprived of tho best land; traders and settlors robbed them <f their cattle, and the law. subsequently prevented the natives possessing large stocks. Tho natives were thus driven to work for ridiculously inadequate wagea, and often they were nover paid, and nvero treated like slaves. The women wero habitually maltreated by tho Germans, who took them into forced concubinage. Those wero some of the tilings which goaded the natives into the rebellions, which were suppressed by ruthless cruelty, resulting in practical extermination of the three tribes involved. ' A Campaign of Extermination. Tho Horeros were reduced ' from 80,000 to 15,100, and the Hottentots from 20,000 to, 9800, and the Berg Damaras from 30,000 to 12,800. How it was dono was to supersede the lenient Governor Leutwein by the notorious Trotha, fresh from German East Africa, where he had suppressed the Arab rebellion by wholesale massacre. Trotha issued the extermination order,, tho terras of which rare: "Not a Herero man, woman, child, or babe is to receive morcy or quarter. Kill every one of them. Take no prisoners." These orders were only too faithfully carried out. On one occasion the German soldiors played ball with n ninemonth babe. They got tired of this and finished tho game by catching the wee mite, on the point of their bayonets, transfixing its body. A reliable witness' deposed that he wa3 two ycare with Trotha, and knew no instance of prisoners being spared. Even after the rebellions the surviving natives fared but little better. One of tho most significant documents in the report is tho eecret circular addressed in 1912 by Governor Seitz to the Magistrates, in which he refers to the desperate feeling becoming prevalent among tho natives. Mr. Gorges adds: "Tho instances of cruelty, injustice, and barbarism might bo multiplied almost indefinitely. Instances of gross bestial conduct, which for sheer depravity and immorality are well night unbelievable, are also contained in the file of affidavits, but they aro hardly fit for publication. Tho_ ordinance governing the criminal jurisdiction over the natives contained provisions repugnant to every conception of justice. The natives wero not tried by ordinary courts, hut by officers, ■ who also did polico duties. They had authority to delegate their judicial powers to subordinate officials. Imprisonment in chains and flogging wore allowed as disciplinary measures on the application of an employer, or for offences against the master and servants law, for example, insubordination, or continued idleness or neglect of duty.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. A WAR WIRELESS STATION Washington, September 11. It is officially announced that a wireless station for communication with General Pershing and the United States naval forces in European waters has been opened at Annapolis by Mr. J. Daniels (Secretary, for the Navy), who sent messages to Sir Eric Gecldes and the Fronch and Italian Ministers of Marine.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE LIQUOR BAN IN AMERICA Washington, September 10. The House in Committee amended the Revenue Bill to permit of the importation of Italian wines until.May next.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. [It was reportod yesterday that tho Italian Government had protested l against the restriction on wine imports as likely to impose hardship.]