STRANGERS TO THE TRUTH.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3137, 2 October 1922, Page 2

STRANGERS TO THE TRUTH.

Natives of Togoland are a race of liars, says an official report on that British mandated spot in Africa, which was taken over from Germany. The report has just been issued as a""White Paper." Togo land was at one time a German colonial possession in West Africa and has a population of 900.000. "The natives have no letters, arts or science." says the report. "Concealment of design is the first element of safety, and as this axiom has been consistently carried out for generations the native character is strongly marked! bv duplicity. Even in matters of little moment if is rare for them to speak the truth. They are unstable of purpose, dominated by impulse, unable to realise the future and restrain present desire, callously indifferent to suffering in others, but profuse in protestation of affection and good intention, afterwards woefully belied by fictions. The native is attracted irresistibly by noise and uproarious gaiety; he loves music. rhythmic sound and motion and has a pronounced aversion to silence and solitude, an excessive excitability and utter lack of reserve. There are no specific grounds for divorce, the mere disinclination of one of the parties to continue the union being sufficient to warrant its being dissolved. Moral laxness is not unprevalent."