NEW GUINEA MANDATE

Evening Star, Issue 18668, 24 June 1924, Page 4

NEW GUINEA MANDATE

AUSTRALIA SLANDERED. ALLEGED ILL-TREATMENT OP NATIVES. Astounding statements concerning tba treatment of natives in the mandated territory of New Guinea were recently circulated in Sydney. In view of the approaching session of the Mandates Commission of the League of Nations and the recurrence of anti-Australian propaganda preceding these meetings, the allegations formed the subject of a statement made bv the Prime Minister (says the ‘Age'). 'Mr Bruce said that the Minister for Home aud Territories bad already taken steps to have fully investigated snch_ of the allegations as were sufficiently specific. He had received a preliminary report from, tbo Administrator of New Guinea, which disclosed the fact that the person to whom, the statements are attributed was no longer an officer of the Now Guinea service, having recently been permitted to resign from the service as an alternative to dismissal for discreditable conduct, the onlv reason for not taking the serious step of dismissal being that a medical report had raised a doubt as to his mental condition.

Uncorroborated statements coming from such a source, Mr Bruce said, were obviously not entitled to credence. There was no record of any protest having been made by the author of these statements respecting the alleged brutal ill-trcatnicnt of native prisoners. There was also no record of this person having been ambushed, ns he alleges, by police boys and ill-treated. It was, however, reported that on one occasion, when under the influence of liquor, and in a condition which gave rise to fear that he might do himself or others an injury, he was handcuffed by a. patrol officer, but that the native police look no part in this incident. Two other persons are reported to have come forward in support of the allegations. One of these was believed to be identified with an officer against whom a charge of disgraceful and improper conduct was ponding under the Public Service Ordinance of New Guinea, and was to he heard at Rabaul. The other person was an officer against whom a charge of improper conduct had also been preferred. In both cases the charges wore laid iirior 1° D 56 publication of the statements which had been appearing in a Sydney newspaper, and did not arise out of those statements. It would be remembered that at about lids period last year there was a campaign of slander against the Administration of Now Guinea, which, occurring >s it did just prior to the annual meeting of the Permanent Mandates Commission, constituted under Article 22 of the Covenant of the Lramie of Nations, gavc_ri.se to the apparently well-founded suspicion that it was designed to prejudice Australia in the eyes of the Longue. It was therefore a most significant fact that tltoro should bo a recrudescence of this campaign just prior to tho forthcoming of the Permanent Mandates Commission, which it is expected would be hold ai about the end of the month. In view of the very serious allegations made last year as to the prevalence of forced labor and ill-treatment of natives in New Guinea, t bo Government despatched Mr A. S, Canning, of Sydney, a special magistrate, and a member of the Commonwealth Taxation Board of Appeal, to the territory, to conduct an independent and searching investigation of the charges preferred. The findings in Mr Canning’s report were a complete rebuttal of tho allegations made. Mr Canning examined eighty-seven witnesses, and preserved a written record of the evidence tendered by (hem. In addition, he personally examined at least sixty natives at various ports, and on the ship by which ho travelled, and questioned them closely as to their treatment. Amongst the eighty-seven witnesses whose evidence was on reconi were officers of the Administration. officers of the Expropriation Board, private planters, four Methodist missionaries. nine Roman Catholic missionaries (all hnt one of whom were German), and one Lutheran missionary.

The object, of Mr Canning's visit to the territory was widely 'notified,, and invitations were extended to all persons in a position lo furnish testimony on the points involved, or desirous of being heard, to attend before him. Of the, persons who had associated themselves with the allegations now being made, only one appeared before Mr Canning. No greater contrast could be imagined than that which exists between (he evidence he then gave and Ids present, statements. He informed Mr Tanning that he knew of only one case in which there had born a complaint of Hogging. That was a ease in which there was provocation, 'the (legging consisted of five strokes of (he cane, and Inc incident occurred about eighteen months prior to Mr Canning’s visit. All the natives, he said, knew (hat corporal punishment no longer existed. Ho knew of no case of assault or ill-treatment or punishment of natives that had been overlooked by the Government. Ho know of no natives having been forced to work against, their will. The only complaints; he had heard from natives themselves had been frivolous, such as-boys having boon asked to lift, baggage as carriers, and complaining that it was not their work to do so. Ho had never known police Iviys to flog natives, bnt he had known police to have assaulted natives, but this was exceptional, and was dnly punished. All the indications, Mr Bruce added, pointed to tho utter unreliability of the persons making the allegations, and to the probability of the allegations themselves .being merely propaganda, designed to injure the- reputation of Australia,. Tim matter would not i-e allowed to rest- The allegations would be sifted,, and every effort made to bring the offenders to book, whether they be officials guilty of unlawful or improper conduct, or whether thr-y bn officials or others guilty o£ slanderous and defamatory statements.