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Despite Administration’s Promise

N.G.’S Protest

To the Editor.

Sir, —At the beginning of 1925, the whole of New Guinea was horrified by the atrocious murder of John Scott, at Enus plantation, in Bougainville, by one of his labourers —Siken —a native of the Solus district, in Buka, an ad joining island.

At the trial of the murderer, certain evidence was brought out, purporting to prove that Scott had ill-treated his labourers and that there was a certain amount of justification for Siken’s at tack upon the deceased. The murderer received a sentence of five years’ im prisonment. At the time when the sentence was promulgated, the natives of Solus were informed by the local representative of the government that on the expiry of the sentence Siken would not be allowed to return to his home.

A few months ago, however, the murderer arrived in his own village, having been repatriated by the govern ment; and he is now looked upon by his countrymen as somewhat of a hero and idol amongst the young bloods of the community.

The local residents immediately peti tioned the Administration, that the murderer should be transported to an other district, as was originally decided at the time of his sentence. It was urged that his return to his home, which is in such close proximity to the scene of the crime, is a menace to the white community and detrimental to the maintenance of discipline amongst the labour lines.

Only two months or so after the re patriation of Siken, the manager of a neighbouring plantation was brutally assaulted by his labourers (many of them from Siken’s village) and was only rescued by the timely intervention of his cook-boy and the later arrival of a patrol officer.

The policy forced upon the Adminis tration by the League of Nations, to spoon-feed a race of natives who are only just emerging, comparatively, from the cannabalistic, blood-lusting stage, is so dangerous to the white resi dents that little faith or respect can be maintained towards the local Ad ministration when they allow such conditions to exist.

It surely behoves someone to take up the cudgels on behalf of the isolated white residents, who live amongst a race of spoilt, indolent and arrogant natives, who can “get away” even with such offences a-s brutal murder, as in the case of the one-armed Scott.—I am. etc.

Mandateite.

New Guinea. July 15.

“Mandateite” certainly appears to have a justifiable grievance, if the facts as stated by him are correct. The light sentence passed upon the "boy”

Siken must have been given only after a thorough weighing of the evidence in the case, which probably proved a cer tain amount of justification—though it is difficult to believe that provocation could be shown to justify a white man’s death by cutting off his one remaining arm and stabbing him in the neck and throat.

But the question at issue, apparently, is the repatriation of the murderer after serving his sentence. If, as “Mandateite” states, the government informed the natives that he would not be repatriated, the Administration has made a serious mistake —first, in not keening its word to the natives, and. second, in endangering the safety of the local white residents by allowing: a notorious character (whose notoriety is probably looked upon with pride by his fellow-natives) scone for spreading anti-discipline propaganda.

There are always two sides to every question, and it is difficult to believe the Administration capable of such ac tion —or inaction. Any policy set down even by the League of Nations, must at least have due regard for the safety of the white Residents.