From One War To

Another

Interesting New Book on New Guinea

NEW Guinea men, affairs and exploits have become legendary in the space of a generation or two—to New Guinea residents. The rest of the world, in spite of the Pacific war, knows virtu ally nothing of the place and of the people who made it peculiarly their own.

Therefore, a new book concerning New Guinea is very welcome. It is “High Lights and Flights in New Guinea”, by Lloyd Rhys, published in London by Hodder & Stoughton Ltd., for 18/ .

Lloyd Rhys is better known, perhaps, as an artist than as a writer; but he is an attractive writer. He has made a bright and easy-to-take book out of the Territory’s history from early days, through the German era, to the out break of World War 11. Although at times he comes perilously close to giv ing merely a re-hash of what has been written before on the subject, his easy style has caught something of the spirit of the place and people—strong romance and adventure, but shorn of sentimental frills—and here within one book we have a more comprehensive story of New Guinea than has ever before been given.

New Guinea residents, “ex” and actual, will meet old friends, and the scores of yarns and fables that are all of one piece with their names. “Queen” Emma, “Shark-Eye”, the Big Six, Levien, Baum, Ray Parer, and every other person who has left his or her mark on the Territory are all there, and very life-like. *To others, it is a timely introduction to the background and beginnings of a country that is now making daily head lines, and to that dauntless tribe of rabid individualists, men and some few women, who had the necessary fortitude and tenacity of purpose to leave suburbia and hack their own niche in the jungle.

Australians know too little of the pri mitive land that was being pioneered by their own folk. To the great general public an Islands resident means either of two things: (1) He is quite mad (hav ing voluntarily chosen to live away from the newest movie and the tram-line) or (2) He is a millionaire, and therefore greatly to be envied for what is put down to “luck”, or to be fleeced according to the supposed bank-roll. Lloyd Rhys may help to dispel a few of these illusions and create some awareness as to what the war evacuees have lost.

HIS story begins before the German annexation. “In those days,” he says, “Australia was politically rid ren by the Colonial Office, as is the Mandated Territory by the Common wealth to-day.”

Colonial Secretary, Lord Carnarvon, and his successor, Lord Derby, were so affected by their exalted positions that they resented any suggestions from the territories in their charge, and brushed aside all proposals from Australia that that portion of New Guinea, not already gone to Holland, should be taken over by Britain or Australia. Britain, they said, already had black subjects enough and they knew, for a positive fact, that Ger many had no intention of acquiring colonies in that particular direction.

While they were still arguing, Germany annexed North-east New Guinea, New Britain and New Ireland. The noble

lords bleated feebly that Germany had not behaved as a gentleman should.

THIRTY years later came war-and Australians to occupy Rabaul.

Many Germans promptly went “bush” —to wait, as they thought, for the whole thing to blow over. One of the most remarkable stories of escape was that of Hermann Detzner, who remained there until after the Armistice.

When war was declared in 1914 he was somewhere near Morobe, preparing for an expedition to the Sepik; it took three months for the news to reach him and when it did, it came from Australian military forces in a demand for his sur render. To Detzner, iron-willed and proud, the known dangers of the jungle, of disease, privation and existence amongst cannibals, were preferable to surrender. He took his last tinned food from Finschhafen and set off towards Dutch New Guinea, 500 miles away, across the most heart-breaking and forbidding country in the world, and for four years he wandered in the region between Mor obe and Mt. Hagen. There were periods of hunger, and more of sickness, when he nursed his carriers, or they nursed him; but throughout he seems to have had remarkably little trouble with the natives and, with true Teutonic dualness of character, managed to take time off from his stern task to make friends with the birds, and to record in notes his impressions and observations of native life and custom, folk-songs, legends, etc.

Sickness eventually drove him down to a coastal mission; and, while there, news of the Armistice came through.

Lloyd Rhys re-tells this strange story.

He describes, once again, the enterprise and pluck of the Australian gold-pros pectors who fought their way into the Morobe country and found Koranga, Edie Creek and Bulolo: and the manner in which commercial aviators pioneered what was, for years, the world’s greatest and most remarkable aerial transport service.

The author writes interestingly, and boldly, concerning the future of New Guinea. He expresses wonder that “vested interests” have been allowed to exercise so much influence, why roads are practically non-existent, why the free planters were allowed to struggle along under an ever-increasing burden; and he pleads for a better understand ing by the Australian Government of the people and their requirements.

Fthe last chapter, he describes how World War II came to New Guinea.

“On Sunday, September 3, 1939, a Miners’ Conference was held in Wau.

There was a feeling of tension through out the day. It was not caused by any development at the conference. The Germans had entered Poland. There were men who had lived to the full, tasted the ripest fruits of life and drunk of its most bitter dregs.

“When the call came they answered it in various ways; but they were ready.

Throughout that strange, wild land, from comfortable administrative offices, from coastal schooners, mines, plantations, far-distant patrols and around the bars in the local pubs, the answer echoed.

The breed held true.

“Everyone awaited further news. At 8.30 in the evening it came—Chamber lain’s announcement that a state of war existed.

“The reaction in that small mining town was an experience never to be for gotten. At the ‘top’ hotel the proprie tress stood by her wireless, straining to hear every word: for she had a sister in Germany, a nephew in the Plying Corps, a daughter somewhere on the high seas,

and a son in the Bomber Corps in Eng land who, alas, was reported missing in the first few weeks. Moresby Gofton was the first New Guinea man to lose his life in this war.

“At the ‘lower’ hotel men gathered . . .

Relief was on every face and in every voice. Chamberlain’s statement had put an end to their one fear. In full face of the tragedy that faced them their only feeling was one of relief in the knowledge that there was not to be another Munich.” —J.T.

Miss D. Coltheart, Miss H. Muir and Miss N. Pitty, of the Methodist Overseas Mission, Papua, have taken charge of the Government home for half-caste girls, at Cootamundra (NSW).

Rev. A. L. Cannon, who served in New Britain as a Methodist missionary for three years, died recently. Mr. and Mrs.

Cannon were stationed at Ulu, where he was principal of the George Brown Training College.

News comes from Mrs. J. Wyatt (Papua) of Corporal P. W. Bosgard, who has been a prisoner of war in Italy for over a year. The Italians appear to have treated their prisoners well, and the British Red Cross has let them want for nothing—parcels of food, warm cloth ing, and books turning up with great regularity. He reports that he, Cotman and Gossner (also of Papua) are all well and they “hope to get out this year”!