SOLOMONS’ MASSACRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20283, 16 December 1927, Page 11

SOLOMONS’ MASSACRE

LETTER FROM A CHIEF. TRIBUTE TO MR BELL, (Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright.) CANBERRA, December 15. Among the despatches received by the Governor-General in connection with the recent Solomon Island massacre was a copy of a letter from Chief John Dorawewe to the resident commissioner, which refers to -Mr Bell, one of the murdered officials. The letter says: —“Mr Bell came among our villagers and brought peace and made murder cease, and now out people of Uru have killed him. \Ve feel very sorry, because he helped us in many ways and made it possible to go about in peace. Now we are very grieved. We are left orphans because our chief is no more.” MORE OUTLAWS CAPTURED. SYDNEY, December 15. (Received Dec. 16, at 0.30 a.m.) Advices from Tulagai state that 60 more outlaws were captured at Sinerango without resistance. REPORTS MUCH EXAGGERATED. MISSIONARIES’ FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT. (Special to Dailx Times.) AUCKLAND, December 15. “The Sydney newspaper reports of the murder of Mr Bell in the Government Tax House at Sineranngo Mala, and ihe circumstances surrounding the event were grossly overdrawn,’’ said the Rev. B. E. Tempest, of Siota, on his arrival at Auckland this morning on the Melanesian Mission steamer Southern Cross. “It was purely a local matter, and there is no danger at all of anything m the nature of an insurrection in other parts of the group,” said Mr Tempest. “ There is no more danger of a general uprising than there would be if some larrikins in a Sydney hotel had a clash with tlie police while the remainder of the population remained law abiding.” The murder of the tax collector and his clerk was committed in cold blood, according to Mr Tempest and the Rev. Dr Walter v Ivens, of Melbourne. For the past six months Dr Ivens has been living quite near the homes of the natives who killed Mr B.ell. “ They have killed two of the best friends the natives had, and the other natives know it only too well," said Mr Tempest. “Mr Bell went ashore with his clerk and, some native police and endeavoured to collect the taxes, but the natiifes were reluctant to pay their dues, and some trouble ensued. Mr Bell was among the natives tor an hour,''and was successful in persuading some of them to nay their taxes. When everything was apparently going well he was suddenly set upon and killed. Either an axe or a knife was used. His clerk was also killed. Their only protection had been the body of police armed with rifles. The police fired on the natives afterwards. That is quite definite, and several were killed on either side.” “The outrage," said Dr Ivens, "was committed by a number of villagers, a little group who had the reputation of being outlaws. They were opposed to the Government, had had been for .a long time. There are abort 900 natives on Mala, where the murders were committed, but only a comparatively small section of the inhabitants was implicated.” Why did they do it? “ Well, !t was probably because the Government last year had. decided to deprive them of their rifles and arms. Another reason perhaps was that they felt that they had been insulted by the order that arms be withdrawn. Two or three years ago there was an execution on the island as punishment tor an outrage, and it was probable that the villagers were still smarting under the nunishment that had been meted out.” Dr Ivens explained ihat there were 200 to 300 persons present at an outside estimate when the officers were murdered, but according to the information which the missionaries have received there may have been only 150. Mr Tempest said he regretted that the Australian newspapers should have published such highly coloured accounts of what took place since many people had been needlessly alarmed. There was never at any time a danger of a general uprising. "Just because there might be some trouble in Sydney you would not expect the same sort of trouble to break nut in Auckland,” said Mr Tempest, " and that is exactly the position in the Islands. Except among the whites we do not hear the matter discussed. The natives who did hear of it were very sorry at having lost two stood friends.’’