GERMANS ACTIVE I

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 5, 6 January 1940, Page 4

GERMANS ACTIVE I

AFRICAN CAMEROONS CONTROL OF SHIPPING BRITISHERS ASTONISHED (By Air Mail.) LONDON, Dec. 5. Amazing stories of German activities in I lib African Cameroons are i told by officers and men of a British I ship which ran the gauntlet of the submarines to trade there. Formerly a German colony, the Cameroons are now administered by Britain and France. In recent years the German element has gained an increasing control of shipping interests there. The British ship dropped anchor off a seaport there to await loading. “Soon we saw a boat approaching,’’ one of the ship’s company said. "To our amazement the boat contained eight Germans, who came aboard with authority to supervise loading and proceeded to commandeer quarters lor a few days’ stay on board. “A request was sent ashore on behalf of the officers and men of the ship asking that any Germans continuing their work at the port should do so under police supervision. This appeal resulted in the appearance of a few native police, whom the Germans ordered about as they chose. “You can imagine our amazement when we found ourselves loading under German supervision after running the gauntlet to get there. Many Germans There “When we went ashore we found many Germans still living in the territory, but we were told that 200 had escaped in two cocoa lighters on the outbreak of war to the Spanish island of Fernando Po. “While we were loading a girl arrived from Germany to marry a German who had fled to Spanish territory. “She asked to be allowed to follow him after a short stay, but she was searched before her departure. Letters addressed to a German consul in neighbouring neutral territory were found sewn in her clothing. They contained important information about the state of the Cameroons and the export activity. “The appeal for police supervision was prompted because of the danger of allowing Germans the free run of a British ship during wartime. We carried two guns, and the Germans had plenty of time to make a detailed study of our armaments. There was also the danger of a time bomb being placed on board with the cargo. “Several times on shore Germans asked me in conversation whether or not we were to be convoyed home. AS , soon as we arrived back in this coun- ' try we drew up a detailed report and sent it to an organisation which : represents officers of the merchant 1 navy."