OUR LITTLE WARS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXI, Issue 13326, 4 January 1904, Page 4

OUR LITTLE WARS.

Britain has another “ little war ” on her hands, ‘ijhis time in Southern Nigeria, ■where some aggressive tribesmen have murdered a con pie of British officers. It, is only a few days since wo published a brief report of the operations of another punitive expedition in the sain© part of the country, and the London newspapers have hcen publishing paragraphs which, show that military expeditions are being planned to traverse the province in every direction during tho present year. Southern Nigeria is a different protectorate from that administered by Sir F. Lugard. It was constituted at the same time —in 1900 —anti was formed partly of Boyal Niger Company land and partly by tho old Niger Coast Protectorate.- Sir Frederick Fugard's dominion does not extend far south of the River Benue, and stops short of the Akpoto country mentioned in this morning’s message. Tho High Commissioner of Southern Nigeria is Sii‘ Ralph Moor. The protectorate has not attracted swell a large measure of public attention as Northern Nigeria has received, but, of course, the- picturesque campaigns against Solcoto and Bornu have been' responsible in the main for the interest that the northern' protectorate has caused. And then Sir Frederick Lugard is an energetic, even an aggressive administrator, not always given to consulting the Colonial Office before he moves. It is part of the regular work of colonisation, we suppose, to “ suppress ” native chiefs who show some independence, and operations similar to those in. tho north have been carried out on a smaller scale and more quietly in the southern protectorate. In September, for instance, Major M’Renzje led an expedition against the King of Agoi—Nigeria .is dotted over with kingdoms—and captured that gentleman after a skirmish, in which the British native troops lost five killed and twenty-seven wounded. These operations occupied a.month. Then came the expedition against the Ibbatoos, the success of which was reported tho other day. Tho Ibbatoos attempted to capture the British Resident at a village called Ekat, and attacked the town in force. Five hundred troops were sent up from Old Calabar by river steamer, and in operations extending over two months they destroyed fifteen villages and “killed many natives." Now it will be necessary to interview the Akpotos. A strong expedition is also to be emit across the protectorate from Asalia, ■on tho Niger, to the Old Calabar River, for the purpose of- opening the country to tra.de. The Colonial Office, too, has sanctioned a miueralogical survey of the protectorate, and both these expeditions will doubtless involve a little lighting. In fact, there is always a war on a small scale in this interesting country.