EYES ON NEW GUINEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18585, 18 December 1923, Page 11

EYES ON NEW GUINEA.

GERMAN NEGOTIATIONS. REPORTED. OFFER TO DUTCH. [FBOM OTJR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]! SYDNEY, Dec. 6. The Duke of Mecklenburg formerly German governor of Togoland, has been on a visit to Duch New Guinea, and there are rumours there that he is negotiating for the purchase of the possessions, on behalf of the German Government.

This sensational statement was made last week by a passenger on the Dutch steamer Houtman, which called at Brisbane en route from Singapore and Java to Sydney and Melbourne. The passenger, who has lived for many years in Dutch possessions, said ha accompanied the Duke of Mecklenburg on a shooting expedition in Java. The duke had spent some lime in the Dutch East Indies, including a visit to Dutch New Guinea. It had been stated that the duke was negotiating for the sale to Germany of Dutch New Guinea.

In 1848, the Dutch proclaimed their sovereignty over the western half of the island as far as the 141 st degree east longitude, and this meridian was accordingly taken as the western" boundary of the eastern half in 1884, when that section was divided between Great Britain and Germany. The British portion is officially called Papua. The German section was taken during the war, and the administration of this mandatory territory has been undertaken by "the Australian liovernment. The Dutch have carried cut very little development work in _ {heir section of New Guinea, and quite recently they placed "an embargo on the destruction of birds of paradise. The Dutch have received very little revenue out of Dutch New Guinea. « There is a great number of Germans located in various cities, towns and islands adjacent to the coast of Java..