Bremerhaven Again!

Points For and Against Germans Vigorously Stated by N.G. Interests.

WHEN it became known in Sydney during- the month that the N.D.L. service from Hongkong to the Cen tral Pacific had been extended, so as to give a six-weekly schedule to New Guinea and British Solomon Islands ports and outports, to be maintained by the two steamers “Bremerhaven” and “Friedrun,” a strong protest was pub lished in the Australian newspapers.

The following points were made against the Germans being permitted to develop this enterprise: — The frequent, regular running of ships between Asiatic ports and the Islands ports mentioned created a serious risk of the introduction of disease —epidemics such as bubonic plague and smallpox, which would decimate the natives; and plant diseases, which could easily do in calculable damage to Australian-owned plantations.

The Germans definitely are seeking to attack and undermine the Australian trading and shipping firms. The latter have undertaken huge obligations con nected with the development and pro gress of the Australian Territories: and the Germans are now trying to undercut and handicap them, while their hands are tied. The Australian firms have pro vided stores, wharves, regular steamer services, gathering depots for copra, and many other trading facilities. The Ger mans have done none of these things and therefore, by picking up copra direct from plantations, and cutting out the costs of inter-island freights and stor age, can afford to offer planters a higher rate for copra.

The Germans are introducing German and Asiatic goods into a market that, considering the Territory is Australia’s obligation and responsibility, should be kept for Australian goods.

The Japanese hold the Mandate over the Caroline and Marshall Islands; and no foreign vessel is allowed by the Jap anese to enter those groups, in the man ner that the German ships are entering New Guinea.

Before 1914, when Germany was supreme in New Guinea and the north ern groups, no British or Australian ship was allowed to enter and trade freely.

The trade of the Islands groups was a close preserve for the Germans.

On these grounds, an appeal was made for Commonwealth intervention.

Case For The Planters.

The case for the planters and resi dents who are interested in the service maintained by the “Bremerhaven” and “Friedrun” was put by Mr. B. O. Mo catta in an article in “The Sydney Morn ing Herald” of December 10. Mr. Mocatta made the following assertions: — The Norddeutscher Lloyd line is pro viding lower freights, better prices and wider markets. It eliminates shipment and freight by inter-island steamer to Rabaul as calls are made at the smaller ports.

The carrying out of the mandate is largely affected by the prosperity of the Territory and the lowered freights and better prices for copra due to competi tion will be of value in restoring pros perity.

Native crews of the N.D.L. steamers do not bring disease among the natives

any more than do the crews of other vessels, as they are subject to the same investigation.

The Commonwealth Government pays a heavy subsidy in connection with the island trade, as do the travelling public and planters of the Territory for freight rates and fares on the steamers, yet it is claimed that this is done to hold Pacific trade for Australia. The firms concerned sell large quantities of foreign rice and tobacco, but no Australian rice is ever imported and these articles are brought from Burma and Japan in ves sels with native crews.

The advent of the “Bremerhaven” has no political significance—it it purely a matter of business and of benefit to pro ducers and residents.

Reply To Mr. Mocatta.

A reply was prepared on behalf of the Australians interested in shipping and trading in New Guinea, which pointed out that if German ships were allowed to cut in on the New Guinea coastwise traffic, they might just as well be al lowed to run on the Australian coast, where their low freights, made possible by German rates of pay and conditions, might be similarly welcomed by Aus tralian primary producers and shippers generally. The Germans are under no obligation to pay Australian rates or ob serve Australian conditions, and they do not provide wharves or any of the trad ing and finance facilities which Aus tralian concerns operating in the Terri tory are expected to do.

One firm said it was prepared to offer to Mr. Mocatta or his friends one of its inter-island vessels which is, at present, idle through slackness of trade, at a charter based on five per cent, on its capital value, to demonstrate that it is not possible to pay current rates of wages, conform with the New Guinea port regulations and run the vessel at a profit at “Bremerhaven” freight rates.

Referring to the danger of the “Bre merhaven’s” crew bringing disease to the Territory, the firm contends that the risk lies in disease developing among the Chinese crew (not native, as Mr.

Mocatta says) after they have been granted pratique. It is emphatically stated that it is dangerous to allow a foreign ship with a Chinese crew to call at any other than the main ports, even if coastal trading by such vessels is al lowed. Only a few weeks ago two or three steamers from China arrived in Fiji to load sugar and, before they were allowed to go to Dautoka and Levuka (which ports both have health officials) they were subjected to strict medical examination and fumigation. What is good enough for Fiji should be good enough for New Guinea.