Japanese Fire on New Guinea

Natives

|Y| R. E. WOOD, manager of a group of plantations on the Fead Islands, off the east coast of New Ireland (New Guinea), wrote on August 16 to the editor of the P.I.M.

“Yesterday, at daylight, a sampan turned up off the reef on the far side of the group, where it could not be seen from the home island. I did not know it was there until the late afternoon when some of the boys returned from there and told me. How ever, about 11 o’clock this morning, it showed up and came along the reef, stop ping off an island about a quarter of a mile from the home island.

T had 11 boys on this island, cutting scrub. When the sampan stopped off the reef, she lowered two boats, which went ashore. My boys went down and asked the Japs if they had any permission to be shelling there, which, of course, they had not.

“However, the two boats immediately returned to the sampan without any of the Japs answering the boys.

“The boys stood there watching and saw two shotguns handed to the Japs in the boats, which started back for the reef.

The boys then retreated to the fringe of the coconuts.

“As soon as the Japs landed on the reef they opened fire on the boys, who at once scattered in among the palms.

“The next moment the Japs on the sam pan opened fire with shotguns and rifles.

Ten shots were fired by the Japs on the reef, and many more by those on the sam pan.

“My wife, self, and other boys stood on the point of the home island helplessly watching the whole thing. The boys who were being shot at, being totally unarmed, ran to the other end of the island and came over to us in their canoes. Luckily, through scattering so quickly, no one was hit.

“When the boys arrived here at the home island, I collected them and all others that were here (about 28), and took them aboard the schooner, which was anchored in the lagoon, with the intention of putting out and trying to get alongside the sampan to ascertain what they meant by trying to shoot my boys.

“However, while we were heating up the engine, the sampan came further along the reef, and sighted the schooner for the first time. She immediately put about, and went back to pick up her two boats. Bj' the time we got going she was headed out to sea. We went out through the passage with the schooner, and chased her for several miles, but she was too fast for us, and we had to turn back.

“It is a lovely position to be in, right out here with a wife and three-years-old daughter, when these Japs can come and, not only poach our shell, but open up with gunfire, with no provocation at all. When we chased them with the schooner the only weapons we had were fish spears. If they are up to the pitch where they will open fire on native labourers on private property, how long will it be before they fire at the white men and women on these islands? Not a single measure has been taken as far as I know to stop them.

“I am writing a full report of the whole thing to the Administration, and am taking my schooner to Rabaul in a fortnight’s time. Next time I am visited by a Japan ese sampan they will find that two can play at shooting.”