RIOT AT OCEAN ISLAND

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 121, 16 February 1926, Page 4

RIOT AT OCEAN ISLAND

CHINESE AND POLYNESIANS IN CONFLICT WARSHIP’S VISIT RESTORES ORDER ‘ By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, February 15. H.M.S. Laburnum, which was dispatched to Ocean Island last December in consequence of a iiot which occurred between Chinese and Gilbert Island labourers employed in the phosphate industry, returned to Auckland this afternoon. She reports that the police force on the island has dbeen strengthened, and that conditions are gradually approaching normal. Upon the arrival of the warship off the island on December 13 it was plain that while there was no cause for anxiety, the call for the vessel’s services had not been seat out on any vain pretext. All work was at a standstill, and there was reason to fear that antagonism that had grown up between the two races had far from diminished. Ocean Island is (administered by the British Phosphate Commission, and as the island is uuinhabitec' about 800 natives from the Gilbert Islands have been employed to work the rich phosphate deposits with which it abounds. As it was impossible to augment the number by other Gilbert Islanders, from 200 to 300 Chinese were engaged under the indentured labour system. Animosity arose between the two raceti. For one thing, the class of Chinese imported was vastly inferior to the Polynesians brought from the Gilbert Islands, and the latter exhibited some resentment at tiie invasion of foreigners. The bad blood was still further poisoned by the voluntary idleness of a number of Chinese whose indentured term of three years had expired. Due to the unrest in China, there had been a delay oi some three months in repatriating the men, and as a large number declined to work after the expiry of their term idleness was the rule for months at a time.

Trouble developed of a particularly exasperating kind. Petty thieving , became prevalent, and the workers’ canteen was robbed. The quarrels finally reached a stage when a free fight oc--8 curred in which some hundreds of Chinese and Gilbert Islanders were engaged. The Chinese had managed to smuggle in firearms, and revolvers were used at one stage of the riot. The Islanders, however, resorted principally to clubs and stones. As a result of the fighting one man was killed and 17 were wounded. When the Laburnum arrived it was found that all work had been stopped bv order of the Resident Commissioner. The small force of police, composed mainly of Gilbert Islanders, was evidently inadequate to deal with further serious trouble should it develop, and the 80 white people engaged in the industry on the island were acting with what care and firmness they could .muster. Owing to i strong westerly gales which made it unwise to anchor in the exposed harbour, the warship was unable to land .a party until three days later. On December 16, therefore, an armed party of 50 men and officers was put on snore, and remained there for eight days, while the ship stood off the island. A search of the Chinese quarters resulted in the discovery of seven or eight revolvers, and the arrest of about twenty Chinese who had been wanted for weeks on charges of theft and rioting. The men were tried in the local Court, and ten were convicted and sentenced to moderate terms of imprisonment, ranging from three to twelve months. On December 24 the prisoners were placed on board the Laburnum, and departure was taken for Fiji, a naval force, consisting of an officer and fifteen men, being left on shore a.s a precautionary measure. At Suva the prisoners were landed to serve their sentences, and after taking on board a special commissioner appointed to inquire into the rioting, and signing on twelve Fijian seamen to take the place of this men landed at Ocean Island, the warship returned to the scene of the disturbances. She also took from Fiji a special force of Native police under the command of British officer to augment the force at Ocean Island, which is now considered to be policed in adequate proportion to its population and circumstances. When the Laburnum left Ocean Island 150 Chinese had been repatriated, their places being taken by about 300 more. Difficulty had been experienced, however, in prevailing upon many of the Gilbert Islanders to return to work with the Chinese, with the result that onlv Chinese and some of the Islanders were working when the vessel sailed. It was hoped to repatriate the Islanders who were dissatisfied and to replace them with others.