DUTCH COLONIZING

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 May 1936, Page 3

DUTCH COLONIZING

PUSHED IN INDIES. AMSTERDAM, March 25. Six colonisation societies here have decided to join forces in planning emigration on a larger scale to Surinam in the West Indies and New Guinea in the East Indies. It is pointed out that emigration is a necessity because the Netherlands to-day has 8,000,000 inhabitants, with an annual increase of 100,000, and the present number of unemployed is about 400,000. The plan for large-scale emigration of Netherlands jobless to the Bakhuis mountains in Surinam, or Netherlands Guiana, is further developed. It is proposed that ultimately some 100,000 unemployed. should 1 , find a place there by 1942. The establishment ol a central work camp near Amsterdam is further planned to give the colonists a preliminary training. '1 his would also serve as a test of their capacities and character. Another area for planned white colonisation is Netherlands New Guinea. The Netherlands-part of the island of New Guinea is 12 times the size of the Netherlands itself. It is veiy sparsely populated. There is now a large charting expedition at work. These chatting operations are executed on behalf of an international oil concern. The expedition includes an air Hoel of three three-engined machines and a complete staff of 30 topographers, pilots and explorers. Their work is to map out from the air and explore an area of 25,000,000 acres 141 c.egrees cast longitude in the Pacific.

AREA OF OIL CONCESSIONS. In this area a big Netherlands-British-American oil combine, headed by the Royal Dutch, has obtained a IC-year concession from the Netherlands Government covering an area of 2,500.000 acres, to be selected from an area of 25,000,000 acres. Recent discoveries of individual investigators have revealed that there are large sections in Netherlands New Guinea which are suitable for white colonisation. Especially the so-called bird’s head, in the north, is easily accessible and has extensive plains, which, as yet, have not been explored as regards agricultural possibilities. The plains between Sorong and Manokwari, a coast strip at least 50 miles long and six miles wide, is said to offer opportunities. Furthermore, there have been found enormous grass prairies. One such prairie had at least an area of about 20 square miles. So New Guinea is not entirely covered by bush and jungle, as has often been supposed. Large-scale emigration is said to le possible. But it is realised that colonisation could only take place with the assistance of the Government. Individual white colonisation, although it has been done and with some degree of success, is not encouraged at present by the Government.