MANDATE TERRITORIES

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 71, 25 March 1922, Page 5

MANDATE TERRITORIES

AUSTRALIAN MISMANAGEMENT DENIED.

(MOM OUR OWN CORRISPONDBNT.)

SYDNEY, 16th March.

Charges of mismanagement, corruption, and. inefficiency in the administration of former German colonies made in the Reichstag by' a former Colonial Office official have received an em. phatic denial, on the part of the. Australian ' authorities, so far as late German NewGuinea is concerned.

In.an official statement the Undersecretary for External Affairs, says :— "Australia has received a mandate from the League of Nations to administer what was : formerly German New Guinea, and she is carrying out that mandate to the letter. The report is of an ex parte statement made by a member of the Reichstag.* in the hope that the German colonies will be returned. No doubt many Germans who have been expropriated from former possessions in various parts of the world, although they have been fairly dealt with, harbour a feeling of bitterness and resentment. Australia, not oply treated the expropriated German nationals fairly, but humanely, in. adivancing them considerable sums when they left Australia, as well as for sustenance while they were waiting in, Sydney for the vessel to take them t6 Europe. There was no necessity on the part of the Government to do this. It was pointed, out at the time that the Federal Parliament waß discussing the question of expropriation that complaints lodged by irresponsible persons would be echoed in Germany, and this has proved to be the ease. Under the mandate Australia has absolute power to appropriate former enemy nationals. We report to the League of Nations regularly, and are responsible to the League for what we do. If Germany has any complaints she is at liberty to address them to the League."