THE CAPTURED ISLANDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16543, 17 November 1915, Page 3

THE CAPTURED ISLANDS

QUESTION OF CONTROL. NEW ZEALAND AND SAMOAINTENTIONS OF JAPAN. (FnOM 008 OWK COBEBSPONDENT.) AUCKLAND, November 16. Tho question of the position of NewZealand and Australia when the war is ended by the defeat of Germany in relation to the captured German colonies in the Pacific was opened up by statements made yesterday by Mr E. C. Eliot (Resident Commissio'ner in tho Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate), who is a passenger from Suva to Sydney by the Makura. Mr Eliot is a brother o- Sir Charles Eliot, who was British High Commissioner in Samoa in 1899, before tho islands were taken over by Germany. Mr Eliot considered that it would bo a wise course if the captured German coloniee in the Pacific were administered for, say, 25 years, until New Zealand and Australia wero ready to control their own affairs. He thought that tho New Zealand Government would find tho control of affairs in Samoa, to which the dominion had a strong claim, too great a task to undertake in the present stage of development. He was equally assured that the time was not yet ripe for Australia to take over German New Guinea in view of the many problems with which she was faced. Mr Eliot had something interesting to sav in regard to Japanese activity in the Pacific. Shortly after the outbreak of hostilities tho Australian cruiser Melbourne visited the Island of Nauru, which was in German hands, and hoisted the British flag there. The 40 Germans on the island who were engaged on rich phosphate deposits werp removed and interned in Sydney, theisland being taken without any opposition. Very shortly afterwards, continued the Commissioner, two Japanese warships visited his headquarters at Ocean Island, which is about 160 miles to the eaet of the small Gorman possession. The Admiral courteously intimated that his visit was for the purpose of inquiring about the German Island of Nauru. The Commissioner, who had taken ovpr'the administration of Nauru, then informed the Admiral that he was too late" to acquire that particular island. Since the capture of the Marshall Islands from Germanv the Japanese appeared to have thoroughly established themselves. The Commissioner etated that ho had been informed by traders who had visited the islands recently that the Japanese had garrisoned the place, and were acting as if they were permanently established. Personally he would not venture to say what the intentions of the Japanese were.