GERMANY AND NATIVE RACES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17154, 4 December 1917, Page 4

GERMANY AND NATIVE RACES.

Bishop Frodsham, speaking at Westward Ho, Devon, yesterday, says the London "Daily telegraph," of August 22, upon the future of the German colonies, said the Pope had made a suggestion that these colonies should be returned to Germany .\ The appeal was based upon ethical grounds, and therefore demanded an etahical answer as distinguished from political. The ethical reason why Germany should not be trusted with the control of native races was that German rights meant native wrongs. It was difficult to place too great emphasis upon the deliberate mid cruel exploitation of native races by Germans all over the world. In Africa tlijey had massacred hundreds of thousands. In the South Seas they had stirred up native strife and rebellion against Governments dopi ring peace and justice for all races. Their theory and practice of acquiring native land could only e nd in the practical enslaving of the native races. When the natives were pacified by force or dispossessed of the land the Germans were prepared to treat them as well as they treated their domesticated animals. But let the natives talk or act upon the assumption that they had rights as men to live under the sun, anc\ they were beaten, imprisoned, maimed, hanged or shot. These were facts that every Englishman and natives with experience knew. To disregard these facts was not only foolish, but ethically wrong. He could only assume that the Pope did nob know the facts. Tim right of natives must be conserved^ in any plan for a righteous and lastinp peace. This was impossible so lonp as Germans were unconverted from t. policy of force.