AFTER THE WAR.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVII, Issue LXXVII, 4 January 1918, Page 5

AFTER THE WAR.

AUSTRALIA A GERMAN COLONY

BELIEF OF GERMANS IN NEW

GUINEA

Mr Thomas J. McMahon, who arrived in Sydney recently, is generally at home either in one or other of the States of Australia or in the Pacific Islands, whose conditions, in their relation to the Commonwealth, have been the subject of his close study, says the Sydney Morning Herald.

Mr McMahon's references to German' New Guinea are of special interest because of the fact that it is now under Australian military occupation with Sir Samuel Pethebridge as Administrator. "There," says Mr McMahon, "I saw a good deal of the Germans. They are' still there—very much there. Indeed,' so much that they fail to see that they are going to be defeated. They still hold all the interest there. They have done' wonders, and have proved unmistakably! that German New Guinea is a wonder-! ful territory. German New Guinea is a' place of such resources, of such pros-. pective wealth, that should it come un- j der Australian administration and pro-' tectiOn after the war it will recoup the Commonwealth for much of its borrow-' ing for war purposes. Most Australians do not understand that this territory is' still German country, governed by German laws, and is merely occupied by an Australian administration under the terms of occupation. My investigations ; led to the opinion that the Australian j administration is most highly successful.! Thanks largely to the tact and firmness \ of Sir Samuel Pethebridge,- the Germans J there are behaving themselves wells, and j are giving no trouble. That territory' will unquestionably be a very valuable1 asset to the Commonwealth should it! be passed over to it. All the main tropical products are engaging the at- J tention of the Germans. Their plantations are becoming wonderfully fruitful j and profitable, the revenue since the military occupation, having largely in-' creased. Far from relaying their efforts because of the occupation, they' are going vigorously ahead in the firm! belief that it will remain German ter-' ritory. Some of them have openly expressed to me the strong belief that after the war Australia, too, will be German territory." ■' 'My enquiries have takien me to j many places made notable by the late j Dr. Geo. Brown. The part that Aus- j tralians are playing, both in enterprise' and in actual investment, in the Solo- ] mons is something that cannot escape! notice. While English enterprise there ' is represented largely by Lever's, the; dominating company from the stand- j point of Australian enterprise is that of Burns, Philp, and Co., Ltd., whose * enterprise and courage have proved J such big factors in building up the: Pacific Island trade. In that connec-, tion, that firm has done splendid work, and has not received the credit which ' is its due."