Germany. Japan And The Pacific

IN 1914, there were not many Japanese in the Pacific Islands. But, even then, the European communities in the Pacific were very conscious of the growing power of Japan, and they kept one eye on the northern horizon, awaiting the inevitable appearance of the “Rising Sun.”

The really disturbing factor in the Pacific in 1914 was German aggressive ness. The flag of Imperial Germany floated over the Marshall, Caroline and Pelew Islands, over New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago, and over Wes tern Samoa; while the shriek of the Ger man eagle was dominant in many Pacific territories which were not nominally German.

In 1935, the German flag is absent en tirely from the Pacific. Many German people remain in Samoa and New Guinea —most excellent citizens, who hold the respect of everyone. But the trappings of Prussianism—the sabre-rattling, the toasted “Der Tag!”, the exacerbating in sistence of “Deutschland Über Alles!” — are unknown to the younger generation, and only a memory to the older people.

We have forgotten the “German menace,”

what time we watch uneasily the coming the Japanese.

A great change has taken place in the Pacific in 20 years. Germany is gone, but Japan is here. It is useless to deny that Japan is steadily, and at an increas ing pace, penetrating every group and Territory in the Pacific. The Japanese are not present yet in large numbers in the Central and South Pacific; but there are enough of them already in every Ter ritory to provide a more or less organised Japanese community. One hears of them everywhere. A Japanese trading firm has come into existence in recent years in Tonga, and now is established as a big and busy organisation in all the chief centres of that Protectorate. A con siderable number of Japanese have settled down in recent years on the northern coast of Dutch New Guinea, and are providing the Netherlands East Indies government with a problem.

Japanese merchants and artisans, in in creasing numbers, are appearing, without ostentation, in the Solomons, New Hebrides, New Caledonia.

Except that they are foreigners, there

can be little objection to these Japanese: they are quiet-living, law-abiding, indus trious people. But they are intensely nationalistic. It is inconceivable that they will be content to settle down in definitely in these Pacific lands, under any flag but their own. That Japan is capable of vigorous and successful colonisation in the Pacific Islands is shown by the events of the past ten years in the Mandated Territory of Marshall and Caroline Islands. Many tens of thousands of Japanese have emigrated to the groups which Japan holds under this Mandate; and they have established several profitable industries—notably, sugar-growing—and have given protec tion and assistance to the aborigines.

The Japanese in the Pacific are not distinguished by the aggressive sabre rattling of the Germans; but their steady, silent, ceaseless advance is much more disturbing to anyone who tries to visualise events hereabouts during the next hundred years. * * * Meanwhile, what of Germany?

The Saar vote—nearly 90 per cent, of the people in favour of returning to Ger many—has opened the eyes of the world to the true meaning of Nazi-ism. Is there

one intelligent man now who will deny that Germany has been re-born, and that the strongest spiritual and national force in Europe—and perhaps in the world — to-day is this new Germany, reunited and revivified under Hitler? This great and clever country has taken the thrashing it truly earned, and has endured its period of humiliation; and now it is coming back into the world, a stronger nation and—according to Anglo-Saxon stan dards—a better people.

The new Germans will not be content with Germany. They must have new territory: otherwise they cannot develop and expand their vital national structure.

They will take their natural place beside the great European powers: and every one of the latter holds extensive colonies.

But Germany has none—not a square foot of Colonial land. It is interesting to recall that in 1914, when Germany forced that disastrous war on the world, the following were her colonies and dependencies:—

In comparison with the holdings of the older maritime nations, like Britain, France and Holland, it was not a large colonial empire; but it was rich, and it provided the Fatherland with a wide variety of raw materials, and an outlet for the Germans’ aggressive colonising spirit. To-day, it is all gone, divided between Britain, France and Japan.

It is inevitable that the Germans, hav ing regained the Saar, will raise a clamour presently for the “rectification” of other parts of the Versailles Settle ment. Germany will point out that her colonies have not been annexed, but

merely are being held in trust by the League of Nations, which has granted Mandates to various countries, authoris ing them to take over the government of the ex-enemy territories. The natural assumption is that such an arrangement was adopted so that the way may be clear, at some vague future time, to return the colonies to Germany. Japan has upset that assumption somewhat by her announcement, unequivocal and aggres sive, that she will not give up possession of the Mandated Territories she holds, to the League of Nations, or Germany, or anyone else.

Japan has the Marshall and Caroline Islands and Kiauchau Bay; France holds a bit of Togoland and Kamerun; but Britain, and Britain’s Dominions, are in possession of all other former German colonies. Therefore, it is certain that when the German appeal comes, as it will soon, it will be directed to Britain.

What is to be the attitude of our Mother Country towards German representa tions? Will Britain dodge the question; or will she frankly recognise the fact that in 1914-18, when she took over South-west Africa, East Africa (now Tanganyika), German New Guinea, Samoa, and part of Togoland and Kamerun, she already was in possession of all the colonial territory she needed?

Will Britain’s policy regarding man dates be influenced by Japan’s flat de claration that she will not surrender, the Marshall and Caroline Islands?

Upon the answers to those questions depends much of the future of important Pacific territories, particularly New Guinea and Western Samoa. The posi tion is full of complications and un

pleasant possibilities.

The considered opinion of this writer is that it would be a very good thing if Germany returned to the Pacific as a colonising power, and the friend and well-wisher of Great Britain,

Mr. J. H. L. Waterhouse, well-known educationalist and botanist, who has been doing much fine work at the Administra tion school at Nordup, New Guinea, left Rabaul on furlough in November for Australia. Arriving in Sydney, he went into Braeside Private Hospital, Stanmore, suffering from a septic carbuncle on the leg. By the middle of January, however, he had recovered satisfactorily and, after leaving hospital, was enjoying a well earned rest at Chatswood, N.S.W.

Mr. Charles Alexander Holmes, Com missioner of Lands, Fiji, had the honour of O.B.E. bestowed upon him by His Majesty the King in January. Mr. Holmes joined the Fiji Civil Service in 1898 as surveyor to the Native Lands Commis sion, and since then has rendered dis

tinguished service to the Fiji Lands De partment. In December, 1928, he was appointed Commissioner of Lands, Crown Surveyor, Conservator of Forests and Chairman of the Mining Board. He was appointed, in November 1928, Act ing Chairman of the Native Lands Com mission. Mr. Holmes is a nominated member of the Fiji Legislative Council.

Mr. Charles A. Banks, managing di rector of Bulolo Gold Dredging, Ltd., ac companied by Mrs. Banks arrived in Aus tralia at the end of the year. With Mr. L.

V. Waterhouse, technical director of B.G.D., Ltd., they will leave for New Guinea by the Macdhui on January 31.

They will be met at Port Moresby by Guinea Airways new Ford aeroplane (which is now flying successfully) and taken thence to the goldfields.

Name Area Population Africa — Togoland 33,700 sq. m. 1,000,000 Kamerun ... 191,130 „ 3,500,000 S.W. Africa .. 322,450 „ 200,000 E. Africa .. 384,180 „ 7,000,000 Asia —Kiauchau 200 „ 30,000 New Guinea ... 90,000 „ 500,000 Caroline Is., etc. 560 „ 50,000 Samoa ... 1,000 „ 33,000 Total .. 1,027,820 „ 12,319,000