WAR-TIME CRUELTIES,

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 15742, 6 February 1922, Page 8

WAR-TIME CRUELTIES,

EAST AFRICAN -'GERMANS

NATIVES BRUTALLY FLOGGED

MISSIONARY’S EXPERIENCES,

j Weeks of anxiety, facing the imminent danger of being dragged out and 'shot, bis hope of life dependent on the amount of truth and honor which his teachings Had instilled into natives, was a wartime experiences in German East Africa of the Rev. E. W. Doulton, an old Sydney missionary. Mr Doulton, who is secretary of the' Church Mission Society for the Tanganyika, Territory, returned to Sydney recently by the Maltia.' 1 At. the opening of Die war in Eqsf Africa. Mr Doulton was among the Wagogo people, with whom he was associated for most of his 28 years in East Africa.. When the, British invaded German East Africa, the missionaries were transferred by the Germans to the Central Mission Sanatorium at, Keloriani. At this station Die food, as Mr Doulton describes it, was “awful,” and the. prisoners were, ill-treated by a Prussian, ‘‘wlio,” Mr Doulton says, “was without one redeeming feature in his character.” Fortunately, when the British conquered German East Africa, tliis criminal was captured and given a, stiff prison sentence.

Following Die, capture of RendonIringi by the British in 1916, the Germans hustled: the captives at Keloriani to the central railway line. On arrival ill the railway, no train being in sight. Die white prisoners, including some 29ladies, who were almost half-the party, were thrown into a small shed with about 40 very dirty natives, and kept, there for 24 hours under close guard. Mr Doulton says that. Die conditions were almost those of a second “Black hole of (’alcutta. -METHODS OF TORTURE FAIL. On arrival at Tabora the discipline was very rigorous, and the missionaries were kept within barbed wire entanglements. It was at, Tabora that Air Doulton and Dr. West gate were suddenly haled before a German Court, presided over by Dr. Human, the Deputy-Governor of German East, Africa, and charged with having taught, tlieir native converts Die use of the heliograph in order to report the movements of Die Germans to Die British. “Needless to say,’’ said Mr. ‘'Doulton, “this charge was utterly false. A number of native Christians were caught,' 1 -and the Germans tried to make Diem confess that the missionaries had taught them'to use a heliograph. Though ‘thrown to the ground and flogged repeatedly until they fainted—the flogging was carried out with hippopotamushide whips—these natives never faltered in tlieir testimony that the German accusations were false. One native only, who had been hogged very hard partly admitted tlie words put into his mouth —between lashes—by liis torturer. This, however, was prior to the trial. When the Germans confronted the missionaries with this prisoner in an open Court a dramatic scene took place, for the native, instead of testifying against the prisoners, admitted that he had made a false statement under duress. He said that they could kill him if they liked, but lie would maintain that he knew nothing of any signalling. RESCUED BY BELGIANS. “The principal witness having failed, the case broke down, hut the prisoners were not acquitted. They were kept under close guard, and another Judge was sent up to try them. Again the fa sc broke down. In spite of the failure of the Germans to establish the ease, Mr. Dnulton was not acquitted even then, and as far as he knew ho is still under suspicion, but lie is not much troubled by it, as all vestige of German influence lias practically vanished from Tanganyika, territory. The prisoners were- rescued when Die Belgians took Tabora, and Die, missionaries were sent home on furlough.” During his many years' ministry Mr. Baulton, with other missionaries, lias succeeded in mastering the language of the Wagogo people. This language is called Chicago, and is very beautiful and’ expressive. The language is, strange to say, superior to the people who use it, for evidence shows the Wagogo to have hern once much more hip,lily civilised than they are tq-day. The translation of the New Testament has been successfully carried out in idiomatic Chicago. Much of the, Old Testament and Die. Psalms were translated also; but- Die mnmiswrpit was destroyed during the fighting between the British and Germans when Die mission station was burnt.. Many vear.s’ labor thus vanished is smoke. Mr. Doulton is still keenly interested in Tanganyika, where lie expects to return in due course. His only son, who was born there, served with distinction in (lie British armies during the late war, and has recently left Oxford to accept Die positiont-of Deputy Commissioner of Die Kendoa-Tringi district. Tin's will give him Die power of administering. Die tribe among which he was born and for whom his father lias worked for many years.