Japan Pushes South

Evidence From Samoa and East Indies

FROM all directions, we receive facts and figures showing the steady, southward thrust of Japanese trade and enterprise.

Year by year, for instance, the distribu tion of Japanese goods in the British islands of th,e Pacific is increasing. Ten years ago the United States sold about £40,000 worth of goods to Western Samoa, and Japan practically nothing. Last year Japan sold £39,600 worth of goods to Western Samoa, and bought nothing; while U.S.A. sales to the Territory were worth £21,000, and Americans bought £56,400 worth of Samoan products.

Samoa is a N.Z. Mandate. Not £lOOO worth of British or American goods are allowed to enter Japan’s mandated is lands (Carolines and Marshalls).

Japan In Timor

The following is from the Batavia cor respondent of the “Sydney Morning Herald”, who wrote on April 27: The Nanyo Kohatsu, the semi-official Japanese South Sea Development Com pany, has obtained a one-third interest in the Portuguese company, which practically a monopoly of the trade of Portuguese Timor.

Japanese steamers have established a service from Palau, in the Japanese man dated islands, to Dilly, the capital of Portuguese Timor, which previously was served solely by ships of the Dutch K.P.M. line.

Th,e Portuguese-Japanese company, the Sociedade Agricola, Patria e Trabalho, has such control of the trade of this small colony that it is considered in the Indies to have almost as much power as the Ad ministration itself. The Administration is required by law to pay its own way.

It raises revenue by heavy duties on ex ports, practically all of which are con trolled, and most of which are produced by the Sociedade.

In addition, the Administration levies a poll tax on the natives. A recent visitor to Timor said that the natives, who are poor and live in primitive fashion (they look more closely akin to the Australian aborigines than to th,e Malay peoples) are allowed to pay part of this poll tax by labouring a month a year for the Gov ernment. Practically their only way of getting money to pay the rest of the tax is to work for about two more months of the year for the Sociedade.

The Sociedade, which is controlled by members of th,e family of a former Gov ernor of Portuguese Timor, recently demonstrated its power, and expressed its disapproval of the high export duties by buying the entire coffee crop of Portu guese Timor and omitting to export it.

Thus the Administration was faced with the alternatives of bankruptcy (for lack of revenue), forcible seizure and sale of crop, or compromise. A compromise was arranged.

“It would be futile to complain about Japanese penetration of Timor”, said a Hollander here wh,o has a wide know ledge of the trade of the outer islands.

“It is a poor colony, but probably cap able of development on a large scale, and it must apparently import capital. The solution, from the Dutch and the Aus tralian point of view, is for Dutch and Australian enterprises to take part in the

exploitation of the resources of Portu guese Timor”.

Australia’s interest in the island of Timor is likely to increase. It is an es sential stopping-place on the England- Australia air route. It is nearer to Aus tralia than any other foreign island of considerable size, Portuguese Timor is the only foreign area within 1,000 miles of Australia that is not either Dutch or French.

Mr. F. E. Williams, Government An thropologist in Papua, arrived in Syd ney from Port Moresby by the “Mon toro” on May 11, on three months’ holi day. He was accompanied by Mrs.

Williams, who shortly will proceed to England to visit their son, who ts at school there.