Grime In New Guinea

From Our Own Correspondent

Port Moresby, Aug. 18

CASES of more than usual Interest were dealt with by Mr. Justice Phillips, who has returned to Port Moresby from Lae and Rabaul.

A European officer of the Provisional Administration was sentenced to 2V 2 years’ imprisonment at Lae for misap propriating over £l,OOO of Government funds.

At Rabaul, two Chinese employed by the United States Army at Manus again came before the Court, after their case had been adjourned from Inrim, The Chinese were charged with assaulting a native. They had pleaded that the Papua-New Guinea Supreme Court had no jurisdiction over them on the grounds —first that they were members of a friendly armed force visiting the Ter ritory with the concurrence of the local authorities; and secondly, that at the time of the alleged offence Manus was American Territory, having been ob tained by conquest from the Japanese.

Judge Phillips held that the Court had jurisdiction. He decided that, even if the accused were in fact members of a visiting foreign armed force, their offence was committed on a private citizen out side their camp area. He also rejected the claim that Manus was, at the time of the offence, American territory.

Each accused was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. Notice has been filed on their behalf in the High Court of Australia of their intention to appeal to the High Court against their con viction.

Nine natives, reputed to be members of the Roman Catholic Mission, were sentenced at Rabaul to imprisonment on charges of “riotously destroying” a school building and a number of houses be longing to members of the Seventh Day Adventist Mission at Bougainville.

A European man at Rabaul, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for an offence on a European boy.

Dr. P. E. C. Manson-Bahr, newly appointed physician-specialist to the Fiji Medical Department recently arrived in the Colony from the United Kingdom.