Nazi Propaganda in New Guinea
pp. 19-20 · Read in the full issue
New Guinea
Protest Against Mad-headed and Irresponsible London Journalism THE following letter is self-explan atory. It is from the Editor of the Pacific Islands Monthly to the Editor-in- Chief of News Review, a weekly journal published in London. It refers to a wildly-sensational article published re cently by the Neivs Review : “In the name of decent and responsible journalism, I must formally protest to you against the statements nublished in vour issue of May 20. 1937, page 19, under the heading ‘British New Guinea- Nazi Campaign.’ There is practically not one fact in the whole of this article— if the statements made are not deliberate lies, they comprise a most gross exag geration and distortion of facts.
“The Nazi propaganda, that you talk about, was so small and insignificant that it is scarcely worthy of official notice.
The Lutheran Church maintains a few mission stations in the Mandated Ter ritory of New Guinea. A small number of recruits to the mission ranks, newly come from Nazi Germany, proved to be ardent Hitler-ites and on a few occasions in the past year or two they have freely praised Hitler and the Nazi regime. It
was discovered that in two or three cases these young missionaries had carried their enthusiasm for Nazi ideals to the point that they had praised Nazi-ism to their native congregations, “Australian Patrol Officers came upon instances of this in the course of their work and reported the facts to head quarters. Enquiries were made; and strong representations were placed be fore the men in charge of the Lutheran Missions in New Guinea. That was the end of it. Certain yellow newspapers got hold of the above facts, exaggerated and distorted them almost beyond belief, and howled themselves into a condition of excitement, which appears to have affected even journals overseas.
“You say: ‘Reports seeped through of powerful German propaganda in New Guinea.’ A lie.
“You say: ‘Nazi agents, in the guise of Lutheran Missionaries, are deliberat ing fostering a campaign among the 378,000 natives of contempt for British rule, disloyalty to the Government. In stead there are being developed strong pro-German sympathies.’ This represents the extreme of distortion and exaggera tion. Not more than a few score natives actually have heard praise of the Nazis.
“You say: ‘Everywhere abound Swas tika flags, while huts are plastered with portraits of Der Fuehrer.’ A deliberate lie.
“You say: ‘ln Papua, labour can be procured at £5 per head. In the Territory it now costs £2O per head.’ Absolute non
sense, so far as any rise in costs is attributable to propaganda. iou say: ‘New Guinea would make
an excellent strategical base from which to launch a Nazi attack on the Common wealth.’ Yellow journalism at its worst.
“You say: ‘Particularly in the rubber starved Reich’s eye are the Mandated Territory’s 2,500 acres of rubber planta tions, which yield exports amounting to £1,000,000 annually.’ This is ridiculous and deliberate lying. In the whole of the Mandated Territory there are no more than 500 hectares planted in rubber, and no rubber whatever is exported from Mandated Territory, neither at the pre sent time nor at any time during the past 10 years.
“It is difficult enough to maintain good international relations among these South Seas territories, without the irritation caused by the mad-headed irresponsible journalism which apparently you repre sent.
“I shall publish a copy of this letter in my own journal, the Pacific Islands Monthly.”
Yours faithfully,
R. W. Robson.
Sydney, July 8.
Captain David Todd, 70, who spent 33 years as an officer in the service of the Union S.S. Co., died at Artarmon, N.S.W., in June. For many years he was master of several of the Co.’s vessels and held commands in the San Francisco Royal Mail service. His last command was the Waiotapu, from which he retired in 1930.