They Juggled For A Policy

Two New Books Examine Some Old History Australia In German N. Guinea: They Juggled For A Policy

If you expect to read about some of the colourful near nantic Australian characters that peopled German New inea before Civil Administration was established in 1921 in D. Rowley’s “The Australians in German New Guinea 1914- 21” you will be disappointed.

the other hand, if you want see the spot-light of Truth vealing the political ramiflca that went on, at the highest while Australia was getting »t-hold on its newly con l Possessions in New Guinea, Mr. Rowley’s book is most ;ely your cup of tea. has meticulously combed I records, perused depart -1 files and authenticates just every statement made in the y giving authoritative sources, chapter and verse in handy at the end of the book, i most carefully compiled, as r ould naturally expect from q of the Principal of the Aus i School of Pacific Adminis > only natural, too, that in r , of events that took place i years ago, when neither gov its nor popular opinion had ? so anti-colonial and race ms as today, the writer’s com on the actions and delibera »f that period should incline censorious. that in no way detracts from ue of this most comprehensive idium dealing with those and, no doubt, will instill a aat Pharisaical satisfaction breasts of our present-day ans and officials.

No Instructions writer deals very fairly with popular Terms of Capitula ted by Holmes and Haber, bows where the former I he had had “no precise in ms” how to act in the event apitulation, and had found ssary; ry out my mission with as little e as possible, and with as little rence with existing customs and Is of administration . . . as to that residents would continue to out their ordinary avocations in eful way. iort, the whole business of hing the Australian Force, Holmes, for this important War I appears to have been r less bungled by Bumbledom ly Holmes’ action regarding made the going easier and

“PIM” reviewers here discuss two important new books: “Aus tralians in German New Guinea, 1914-1921,” by C. D. Rowley, Mel bourne University Press, Aus tralian price, 52/6; and “Britain in Fiji, 1858-1880,” by J. D. Legge, MacMillan & Co. Australian price, 34/9.

less expensive in lives, prestige and trade.

Considerable stress is laid on the preservation of commercial activities for Australia, which was considered more important than "native wel fare” at that time.

There are detailed descriptions, culled from official files, of the methods adopted by Holmes in tak ing over control from German officials: the various problems which arise regarding the disposal of copra,

the jockeying for business amongst the Australian firms and the prefer ence shown on various occasions for the Burns Philp Company.

Parenthetically it is interesting to note that the old Burns Philp inter island steamer Moresby, which was the last Australian vessel to trade with Rabaul before the NDL took over in the early 1900’s, was the first Australian merchant ship to return after the capitulation. And v/ell do I remember being told this by W. H. Lucas, who, incidentally, comes in for a lot of criticism (and little wonder, for the one-time super cargo of the island trader, Titus, had become a power in the Pacific).

Honest Appraisal

The author makes an honest appraisal of the Germans’ accom plishments, their methods of admin istration employed and targets aimed at, which were naturally those of a colonial Power at first concerned primarily with economic development of the country, with the welfare of the native to follow.

The details concerning mission activities, labour conditions, native officials, punitive expeditions and native education are particularly enlightening at this late stage. It is of interest that in 1918, when the Allied Powers were seeking evid ence of German mal-treatment of natives, in order to counter any move for the return of colonies to the Germans, Acting Prime Min ister Watt cabled Hughes: "The information available does not show that the Germans were guilty of

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h and unreasonable cruelty in • dealings with the natives, or red any singular disregard for re rights and actions.” ithoritative records are quoted t events during the term of Pethebridge, who took over Holmes in January, 1915; Sea i Mackenzie, who lasted for a id of six months, pending the intment of Johnstone in 1918, i followed by Tom Griffiths and tually Wisdom, who was in the le when Civil Administration over from the Military Occupa

"Juggling"

e juggling, which went on be the scenes during these various ds, makes most interesting ,ng and the publication of ex s from official correspondence reports lifts the lid from many irto hidden secrets and explains official why and wherefore of ns which, at the time, puzzled Man in the Street. In fact it s one’s appetite for a similar in, say, 40 years’ time ex ing some of the events of to ere follow interesting dis res concerning Billy Hughes in pe, fighting for Australia’s latory powers at the Versailles 3 Conference; the Royal Com on on late German New ea, composed of Judge (later tubert) Murray (as chairman), Hunt, Secretary of the Depart of Home and Territories and [. Lucas, late Islands Inspector BP and recently-appointed nical Adviser to the Common h on Pacific Affairs, inquiring the best methods of future ad oration, and the advisability e amalgamation of Papua and Guinea; and nonetheless en uring is the post-mortem on aethods employed to repatriate Germans by deportation and ex •iation and the vain attempts le period at ousting the Ger missionaries. in recent years, political edegook played no small part rese important issues, which d have been above party cs. ese were some of the problems •alia was facing while she was fitted for her mantle of nhood. was inevitable in the Royal nission inquiries that the ideas [urray and Lucas should be apart; Atlee Hunt, swayed by es’ support of Lucas, joined 3 against Murray, whose dream “Papuasia”, with himself as rnor, was shattered by the rity report. sre is little doubt but that had nment policies at that time ed such a tendency towards

racial integration as they have to day the Commission’s report would have been entirely different. Time has at least shown that Murray’s ideals have now become accepted policies and his aim for amalga mation un fait accompli.

Expro Board's Task

The author treats very fairly the activities of the Expropriation Board, with Lucas as chairman, and mentions the immense task it had of taking over the German assets and keeping them working as going

concerns in order that the country’s economy should not be disrupted.

This altogether enlightening volume—full of good solid food for thought and reference—brings the story of New Guinea up to the time of the inception of Civil Adminis tration which, the author says, commenced operation on May 9, 1921, without a native policy, and in the shadow of the Expropriation Board, A “civil government” was declared, in the last of the ANMEF Gazettes “to be established” over the “Territory of New Guinea” under the terms of the New Guinea Act.

Wisdom, the last ANMEF Admin istrator, became the first Admin istrator of the Mandated Territory.

“The only signs of a new order

the doffing of uniforms by holding civilian appointments, le dispossession and shipping if the Germans. Shortly after the Australian Government o present its first report to Council of the League of is on the Mandated Territory v Guinea. But that is another none better qualified than Dwley to write the sequel, if he ys the same candour and aking research he has shown present volume. hort: A valuable contribution srritorial literature, happily from typographical errors , in these days sadly occur ;oo frequently in the best of There are only three queries Id raise: (1) On page 33 the listrator-elect is given the of Major-General, whereas m was a Brigadier; (2) On 56 “Bouka Plantation and ig Co. Ltd.” should be “Buka and (3) On the Map—page abakada is shown in New d, which should read “Kaba ’. The former name is that hllage and a mission station s North Coast out of Rabaul.—