Japanese Again

Another Outrage at Manus

T ETTERS from New Guinea received early in Apr# reported that Japanese poachers have again been active in the Admiralty Islands and that they de liberately burned buildings on one of the islands a few weeks ago.

The Purdy Islands are a group of little islets included in the Admiralty Islands, northwards of the mainland of New Guinea, and they are leased from the Expropriation Board by Mr. Charles Munster, of Lorengau, Admiralty Islands.

Mr. Munster has a force of native labourers in the Purdy Islands, where he obtains copra and trocas shell.

Early in January a Japanese sampan arrived in the Purdy Islands and sent her

boats on to the reef at Mole Islet, where they began fishing for trocas shell. Mr.

Munster’s labourers on the islet shouted at the poachers and they departed.

The sampan then proceeded towards Mouse Islet and boats went ashore on the reef. The native labourers on this islet also shouted at the Japanese, but the Japanese retorted by making threatening signs. Another boat came from the sampan and the crew of this boat carried fire-arms.

The natives on Mouse Islet then be came alarmed, hiding their women be neath fallen dry coconut fronds, and they themselves hid in the tops of the coconut palms. The Japanese came ashore and searched the island and then deliberately set fire to the buildings on the island, consisting of a house for the labourers, a copra drier and a copra shed. The buildings together with a quantity of copra and all the labourers’ food, and gear, were destroyed. The Japanese then departed.

Japanese poachers have been reported recently in other parts of the group. One crew went ashore at a plantation owned by Messrs. Edgell and Whiteley and, after gathering up all the trocas shell avail able, they stole a quantity of food.

The District Officer at Lorengau re ported the Mouse Islet outrage to Rabaul by radio and it is understood that the Administrator of New Guinea placed the matter before the Commonwealth au thorities.

It was reported recently that Japanese poaching among the northern islands of New Guinea had ceased; but the latest reports suggest that the nuisance recently has become more marked than ever be fore.