Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-09-22
NAURU, Home OF
MISSIONARY, is
BRITISH Prize
Continued from page one)

4
missionary from. Honolulu, the Rev.
/ Philip A. Delaporte, together with his
wife and two children. ~. ...*
Philip Delaporte has spent many
years on the island of Nauru as a
representative of the Hawaiian board,
/ where, together with his wife and two
children, he has worked in the cause
of Christianity. Two years ago Mr.
Delaporte, who is native of Germany,
visited in Honolulu on his return from
a visit to his fatherland. At this time
he was accompanied by his family
and Miss Olga Meitzner, the latter
/ coming out from Germany to take up
the work with Mr. Delaporse. Since
that time the Hawaiian board has
cared for the entire party.
News Of Trouble Came by Mail.
/ With the last mail from the deep
South Seas, a letter was received
from Mr.. Delaporte in which he pre-.
| saged trouble ahead He stated in
this letter that his last supply of pro-
visions, ordered from Sydney, had been
seized by the British and that it was
Il
be in a bad way for foodstuffs unless
some action was quickly forthcoming.
British Residents Leave. +
Mr.. Delaporte, in his letter, stated
that all communications with the ISL
and had been se7sred and that the
handful of residents was in utter ig-
norance of the happenings in the great
world outside, excepting when vessels
touched at Nauru. Two days before
the letter was forwarded to Honolulu
the British residents, AZ in number,
had left for Ocean island, the most
westerly of the Gilbert group.
With the departure of the British
there remained on Nauru Germans to
the number OF 40, one Austrian family
and Mr.. Delaporte-an American citi-
zen-and his party
1t was the hope of the party at the
time that vessel would touch there
within a short time on account of the
shortage of food. In fact It was antic-
ipated the island would be taken over
by either British or Japanese vessel.
While Nauru is an isolated dot on
the broad Pacific ocean it is German
possession, and the Marshall islands
being the nearest German territory, it
has been classed by Germany as one
of that group. 4
Commercially important.
From an article written by Rev. De-
laporte for The Friend last year the
following notes are taken, showing the
growing commercial Importance of
Nauru and it's value as an English
prize:
The result Of the fourteen years of
missionary work at Nauru is: Over,
GOO church members, 229 scholars in
three schools. this out of total popu-s
lation of 1908 Besides the above
many of the 500 Caroline Islanders
who work for the Pacific Phosphate
Company, Ltd, attend church. A print
ing press supplies the people with lit
erature. The New Testament, the
Psalms and hymn book containing
III selected gospel hymns have been
translated and printed on the spot.
Heather customs are nearly thing
Of the past.
The arrival of 5000 or 1000 ton
steamers is often seen in Nauru now.
On December 81, 1912, no less than
eight steamers were in port. Four or
five large vessels in port is COM
mon occurrence.
Discovered early in the present CEN
fury, work on the phosphates was
started in 1906. 1t is now being ship
ped at rate of nearly 10000 tons
annually. A staff of perhaps so whites,
so Chinese and 600 Caroline natives
reside on Nauru. Moorings to hold
1000 tons steamers have been laid. !
jetties, immense bins and dryers have
been built. A miniature railway on
which miniature locomotives and cars
run is used to transport the fertilizer
from the bins to the end of the wharf,
lighters. A large plant supplies power
for the different machinery, galloway
and an ice machine.
The value of phosphate exported in
1912 had an estimated value of ST.
$4,000 AS the demand of the mar
ket is larger than the supply, Nauru
may expect boom. About 200 tons OF
copra are shipped annually in addition
to the phosphate, which brings the
1value of the exports very near to two
million dollars Ten years ago the
exports of Nauru were valued at say /
10000 today at $2,000,000
The government has built fine roads
around and across the islands. A po-
lice detachment 20 New Guinea ma
tives, assisted by two police dogs un-
der the supervision of German off,
Ger. look after Darkest Nauru.''
A tax of 1915 is levied on every
able-bodied nan and youth. The
whites, inclusive of missionaries, have
the privilege of paying $40. An ad
valoren duty of 10 per cent on all