NEW GUINEA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19275, 12 September 1924, Page 7

NEW GUINEA

ADMINISTRATION OF MANDATE. SPECIAL COMMISSIONER’S SUGGESTIONS. Prow Association —By Telegraph—*Copyright. MELBOURNE, September 11. The report on the mandated territory of New Guinea by Colonel Ainsworth, late Chief Native Commissioner in Kenya Colony, has been presented to the Federal Parliament. It recommends that the territory should be governed by an Administrator, assisted by an Advisory Council, and should not be made dependent upon tire political or economic requirements of Australia. He refears to the absence of roads to the interior, which prevents the Administrator from visiting the out-stations. ' He states that if the Commonwealth Government is going to give effect to the terms of the mandate it must be prepared to go to some expense and trouble in finding suitable locations to which isolated natives can be moved. The report says that the native population is remarkably spars© and extremely backward. The ‘ Commissioner considers that without Asiatics or some similar people progress must wait, and the public revenues become stationary, if not retrogressive. He says* that he has no reason to believe that the ingress of Asiatics would bo harmful to the native people, and he is of opinion that the continuation of the Expropriation Board as plantation owners is undesirable. A SEVERE INDICTMENT. ALLEGATIONS OF CRUELTY. LONDON, September. 8. The Morning Post gives to extracts from an article in the Socialist •Review issued by the Independent Labour Party, which constitutes a scathing attack on Australia. It alleges that atrocious cruelties have been practised against the native labourers in German New Guinea under the mandates system. The author of the article is Mr Francis Ahern. He writes on the authority of Dr Begley, who was medical officer at New Guinea in 1919, and who, Mr Ahem states, fell foul of the officials soon after his arrival in the territory. The article alleges the shocking abuse of native women, the ruthless plundering and burning of native villages, and tlie flogging, of natives of both sexes, as a result ot which, he says, the natives are living in a state of terror. The writer further alleges that murder, arson, rape, slavery, and brutality are common occurrences. He says this is proof positive that the Australian Government is not carrying out its duties in accordance with the mandate from the . League of Nations, The Morning Post says that the charges have already received the attention of Sir Joseph Cook, High Commissioner of Australia, and will be referred to the Mandates Commission of the League. The paper recalls Mr A. Canning’s report upon similar allegations of slavery and flogging, the general conclusion of which was that the natives appeared to be well fed and to fairly revel in their work. It also stated that the German missionaries considered that British administration was perhaps a little too mild.—A. and N.Z. Cable.