NEW GUINEA MANDATE

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 17, 15 October 1926, Page 9

NEW GUINEA MANDATE

AUSTRALIA’S POLICY EXPLAINED LEAGUE QUESTIONNAIRE CONDEMNED MOST INQUISITORIAL CHARACTER The question of the New Guinea mandate was discussed at the conference of Empire Parliamentary delegates and Commonwealth politicians. Senator Pearce described the questionnaire recently propounded by the League of Nations as of a most inquisitorial character. By Telegraph.—Press association Copyright. Sydney; October 14. At Canberra the conference between the Empire Parliamentary delegation and Commonwealth politicians discussed at length the question of the New Guinea mandate. Senator Pearce, Vice-President ot the Federal Executive Council, dealing with the questionnaire recently propounded by the League of Nations regarding the New Guinea mandate, described it as of a most inquisitorial character. It asked questions which, under the mandate, were purely within the Commonwealth Government’s competence to deal with and regarding which the League was not entitled to question the Commonwealth. He declared that the questionnaire was the outcome of inspired propaganda against the Australian administration in New Guinea. Inquiries had demonstrated that the accusation made had no foundation. He added that he regarded the matter as a potential cause of friction in the League of Nations. Commonwealth Government's Policy. Sir William Glasgow, Minister of Home and Territories, explained that the Government’s policy in regard to New Guinea was generally that of itnprov'ng the natives’ conditions of living. and preventing them from being exploited and ill-treated; securing their land to them, and abolishing*inter-tri-bal fightings, and the participation of the natives to an increasing extent in the administration of the territory. In regard to this the Minister declared that it would be many years before the natives could be entrusted with the re snonsibilitv of participation in the administration. but bv a gradual increase in their authority the Government lioned eventually to create a body of responsible native officials who could be entrusted with the .actual administration of the territory.

In the general discussion which followed, Australia's attitude in airing the subject was supported.