NEW GUINEA

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 29, 3 August 1923, Page 5

NEW GUINEA

OFFICIAL INQUIRY

GERMAN PROPAGANDA ALLEGED.

Alleging that attempts were being made to influence the foreign members o£ the Mandates Commission, the Prime Minister of Australia (Mr. Bruce) ■ reJ»lied in the House of Representatives a ew weeks ago to criticism of the administration of the mandated territory of New Guinea.

There is evidence, said Mr. Bruce, that a. great deal of the material for criticism has been drawn from interested •ources. It is this fact particularly that impels me to make a statement before the matter has been fully investigated by the experts the Government is sending to Rabaul, for it is quite obvious that if criticism has been inspired from German or pro-German sources it is with the object of influencing, not the Australian public, but the foreign members of the Mandates Commission. It is interesting to recall that prior to. the meeting of the Mandates Commission last year an article appeared in a Sydney newspaper, over the signature of a wellknown Sydney business man. It was ascertained that he had spent only two days at Rabaul, but had obtained from various sources a scathing condemnation of the administration. This article was forwarded anonymously to the president of the Manchester Commission, -who proposed to circulate it amongst the members.

"We have definite information," 6aid the Prime Minister, "that well-organised propaganda is being conducted by Germans interested in discrediting Australia as" a mandatory Power. In addition to the incident to which I have already referred I may say that when Australian representatives attended the League of Nations Assembly at Geneva, in September last year, they discovered that pamphlets had been circulated to .ill but the Australian members, containing ■charges somewhat similar to those made recently. These pamphlets were printed in very large numbers, 30,000 copies of one being distributed. They were signed by a league of German patriots. '

Mr. Bruce said that in face of the enormous handicaps, the work of the board and the Administration was much more satisfactory than recent criticism would suggest. It was untrue that there had been failure to establish a definite policy. The only important matters ■which remained to he dealt with were the completion of the land transfer ordinance and the amendment of the mines ordinance in. its relation to oil research, which would be dealt with without delay. Regarding the Public Service, the Government intended at an early date to establish a training school, where Australians could graduate in tropical subjects. No man was sent to the territory without rigid medical examination. The Administrator had reported that there was no more gambling among ■white residents than was usual in any community, and the police emphatically stated that there was practically no gambling between white officials and Chinese. _ Regarding the dimensions of the Public' Service in comparison with Uiat of the German Administration, there were now many activities in regard to instruction, . general training, health, etc., which the German Administration either ignored ot only partially handled. It was untrue that there was extensive duplication of hospitals run by the Government and those controlled o'y the board.

.In general, said Mr. Bruce, the Government had put the welfare of the natives first, carrying out its plain duty under the mandate, which required as its first and fundamental trust that "the mandatory shall promote to the utmost the material and moral well-being and social progress of the natives." There was absolutely no evidence to support charges that forced Government labour had been the order of.the day for a long time in some districts, and that labourers wereibeaten by police boys and plantation managers. The Administrator had received instructions in the most categorical terms regarding forced labour and corporal punishment, and in his last annual report , said there had been no forced labour, except for the clearing of villages. In its concern for the native inhabitants the Government would have these questions definitely investigated. The activties of the board which had to maintain plantations estimated to be worth about £4,000,000, until they were sold or otherwise disposed of, had been attended by some financial loss, the price of copra having slumped shortly after it took charge from £35 per ton in November, 1920 'to £18 10s in April, 1921. Large areas of young palms planted by Germans following the close of hostilities necessarily had been conducted at a loss. Partial recovery in the copra price, and the approach to maturity of the young trees, had done much to enable the board to pay its way. Losses in handling the expropriated estates would not be oorne by the Australian taxpayers. A special financial expert would, as previously indicated,' investigate the whole question, and a full report would be furnished to the House.

Mr. Bruce added that a Minister ■would go toNew Guinea and make personal investigation. During the recess a delegation of members of Parliament from both sides of the House would visit New Guinea. The Ministry hoped-that the delegation would submit a report, including suggestions for the better administration of the territory. Meanwhile he asked members to view with the greatest caution criticism of the Administration.

Mr. Charlton said that charges should fie probed fully. He warned Mr. Bruce that an official denial would not satisfy the League of Nations. It would be •wise to dispatch three or four members of the House immediately to New Guinea, with power to make a complete investigation. If that were done their report would be ready for the forthcoming meeting of the League.