THE! NEW HEBRIDES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8808, 21 December 1906, Page 2

THE ! NEW HEBRIDES.

•. GERMAN INTRIGUE DENIED. United Press Association— By Electrio Telegraph-HCopyrigßit. (Received December 21, 10.14 a.m.) ' SYDENY, December 21V A German correspondent of tho "Sydney Morning Henald -' saye that' when the statement was. made in Sep*, tember last that merman firms, were intriguing to secure a foothold in tho New Hebrides, so that Germany might claim a right of intervention before the final Anglo-French .settlement, he had inquiries made on the spot. His correspondent is a resident of long standing in the group, and intimately acquainted with the happenings there, and is, moreover, a Frenchman, so that he could not be suspected oi partiality to the Germans;. This correspondent wrote: "There is a German copramaker at Aoba. Two" German merchants, Zeitler and Hagen, whose .schooner sails under the French flag, and is commanded by a British subject, haye jusfc opened a store at Api. Oije has a native wife, who owns a piece of land at Vila, and another at Api, where a store has been erected, also a piece of land at Aoba. I heard it stated that in former years a German Company from Samoa bought land in various parts of the islands, but I never heard it said .that of late the Germans had been trying to do anything, and I know of no other German traders than Zeitler and Hage"!!, who carry on business without troubling about nationalities."