The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-23
GERMANY'S NEW ISLANDS,
Some Interesting Information Regarding the
Marshall and Gilbert Group.


Boston Special.
The Rev. DR.. Judson Smith. D. D.. junior for
eign secretary of the American Board of Com
missioners for Foreign Missions was interviewed
to-day in regard to the seizure of the Marshall
and Gilbert group of islands, in the South Pa
cifc Mr.. Smith stated that he had received an
intimation some time since that a seizure of the
islands by some European power most probably
Germany. would likely take place shortly. Al
though the missionaries and other agents Of the
board had been instrumental in ele-
waiting the natives of the group
to their present state of civilization, and often
rendered their counsel in the government of the
islands, still 1t could not exactly be said that the
mission had ever laid any claims to the real pro
prietorship of the islands, either in their own
in the name of the United States. True, they
had done their utmost to foster trade with the
group. with satisfactory success and naturally
sought as much as possible to direct that trade
in American interests, but outside of this they
allowed the natives to govern themselves. For
eigners upon the islands were few. The mission
aries have for years past been almost the exclu-
sive representatives of the white race He did
not know what action the board would take il
it took any at all. He did not think the Ger
man government would in any way interfere
with their work outside of diverting the trade OF
the islands into German channels instead of
those of the United States as formerly In con-
clusion, DR.. Smith gave some very interesting
information about the Gilbert group. Although
lying Immediately in the center of what is known
as the cannlDal region, the natives have never
been known to be cannibals and in intelligence
have been considerably above the natives in the
neghboring islands. The Gilbert group is COM
posed of number of islands, the eight larger ones
being Butarrtar, Maraker. Apaiang. TaraWa,
Malana Apemama. Nanonti and Toptenea.
These islands are the seat of government each
being ruled independently by native chief.
These chiefs have no connection polti-
cally with each other, except in cases
of war, when they unite for the
common safety. The entire group does
not number in all over %, 600 persons. of whom
1850 are Christianzed and members of the
church The report for the last year shows that
on the islands there eleven missionaries
from the Hawaiian group and six from Kusais.
the headquarters of the Mission Board in Mic
ronesia. There are thirty eight church buildings
and twelve teachers. The deaths were forty
three and the Christian marriages 400 The
Board of Missions has school established at
Kusai, of the Caroline islands, some 800
miles to the west of the Gilbert group, and here
every year brought number of young nac
tives who wish to be educated as teachers or
preachers. When they have completed their
course, the missionary vessel-the Morning Star
takes them to the various islands to which
they belong, and brings back such others de-
sire be educated. 1t is due to this that the i'm
fuence of the missionaries has been almost SUI
preme