AUSTRALIAN TROOPS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11207, 13 October 1914, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN TROOPS.

WORK IN NEW GUINEA. PENETRATING THE INTERIOR. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received October 13, .Noon.) SYDNEY, Octobor 12. Further reports from the New Guinea -Expeditionary Force filiow that tho force, including n-n Anglo-French naval contingent and hftlf 11 battalion from tho Australian military contingent, reached tho capital, Frederich Wilhelmshafen, on the morning of September 25, and demanded surrender by noon under ft threat of bombardment. No attempt) had been made at defence, and no resistance offered. After a little parleying, they surrendered unconditionally. When tho force landed, the German flag was hauled down and the Union Jack hoisted. A wireless was taken ashore, and by means of this the force is keeping in touch with che outside world. One correspondent) estimates the population at two hundred whites and five hundred of mixed coloured nationalities, besides aborigines. Tho lastnamed showed gladness to see the visions, and readily assisted in landing stores. Reports from Rabaul, the capital of New Britain, to September 27, indicate that parties visited Toma, where the Germans established the capital after the capture of Rabaul. They secured and brought in stores collected at various bases and numbers of prisoners, and concluded the general surrender. which was signed by Dr Ha-der, Acting-Governor. The work of penetrating the interior was rough and tedious, but everything passed off perfectly.. Besides quantities of arms, ammunition and general stores, 480 thousand marks in specie in buried chests were unearthed. In one place a company was pleasantly surprised when informed that the tent which they slept in was pitched over forty cases of bullion, which was duly secured.