Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-02-13
MISSION WORK
ISCARRIED ON
DESPITE WAR
Philip Delaporte, Writing From
Nauru, Tells of Capture of
Island BY the British

Island BY the BRUSH
The following interesting letter has
been received by DR. Doremus Scud
der from Philip A. Delaporte, Central
Unions missionary at Nauru:
i will now give you bit OF Naari
news since wrote last All letters
are censored and one must be very
careful in writing or else the letters
will never reach their destination AS
Il Is we have not received an Ameri.
can or European letter since this TIL
fortunate war broke out. We are very
anxious TO hear from you and cir
dear children. wrote TO you Septein-
Der q that the Australian cruiser
Melbourne arrived here September !.
and destroyed the wireless station.
with the exception OF minor els
turbances nothing happened here un.
III November 6 when a British stearl-
er arrived bringing a military force
which has occupied the island ever
since. We now have military rule on
Nauru. The island is in charge ,os
Capt. Norrie, who acts as administers
tor. on November all male German;
had TO leave Nauru, among them wGs
also our good friend Dr. Muller. They
were taken as prisoners of war from
here to Rabaul, New Guinea, and from
thence TO Sydney. We have not heard
yet OF their safe arrival there. As
the ship had no accommodation for
women Il was ordered that the mar
ried men leave their wives here until
q chance offers itself to send thea
on too
This is q bit hard on the women,
but as the British government looks
after them they suffer no real hard-
ship EXCEPT the Inconvenience OF al
enforced separation. We took Mrs
Haefcke. the wife OF the former man
ager Of the Pacific Pifosphate' Com
pany; Ltd. ana her three children IN
our home. We. felt that We. as mis-
siQhafies, should d. this she gets
situations frtpl the eotpkny's mess.
robinl The Bkiishk Aag was hoistei
over our island Just on the fifteentn
anniversary o. The oNRNrI mission. "a
my various letters Of September 4
mentioned the fact that the British
authorities az Ocean Island had coii-
fseated our private and nnissicn sop
plies which arrived there On the
steamer Wonganeiia from Sydney
early in August. wrote to the resi-
dent commissioner at Ocean Islard
about It and received d reply to the
effect that he had neither received
nor given instructien concerning our
provisions Thus you will note ths..
not the government but the manage.
Of the Pacific Phosphate company at
Ocean island is holding our goods.
Much Inconvenience has been en-:
tailed on our family through this arll!.
trary act. Even II he did not want to
send British vessel to this i rt he
had at least three opportunities to
ship goods on Norwegian steamers
These supplies are still at Ocean Isl-
and and We were thus compelled TO
buy at greatly advanced rates at the
store here. Even this source of os>
tanning supplies Is now N0sed as the
store has FOR weeks qst no more Fro.
visions in stock. we now hear that
the present situation Is TO be relieved
next week. when our so long-delayed
foodstuifs are expected to arrive OF
course much Of II viii be ruined IL
they do come
I'VE heard that the Japanese have
taken the Marshall Islands and at JE.
luit now We have hadino word from
our fellow missionaries who are sta
toned there II q further reported
that japanese warships have heen tn
Ponape and zap. 10 resistance vas
offered here to the landing of Engi ,shl
troops. At Rabaul German New
Guinea. however. : slirmish took
place near the wireless station. Sew.
eral whites and scme natives were
killed ON both sides do not know
however. how many. There are INV
about 50 soldiers and several officers
stationed at Nauru.
"Of the war in Europe we know
nothing, as we get no newspapSr us.
We have only one desire and that is
that this unfortunate war VIII soon
come 10 a close
Thus You see that we get right
here on Nanrn a mild taste OF this
war. too. Since June We have nor
had potatoes or any other vegetables.
But we do not mind these trffies when
we remember the awful snffer;rg
which this war causes in Europe. Our
sympathies are with the poor gidoS s
and orphans whose sufferings must he
terrible, especially during the c1ld
ooocon