New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-11
Band Defes Dreadnoughs.

.
Band Deies Dreadnoughs.
"This feet cast anchor in the bay
and demanded the surrender of the
German colonies. ! defed them and
told them that !, as German Governor,
had no authority to surrender any
/ thing. Then they demanded posses
/ sion of the wireless station. This re-
/ quest. too. 7 refused, and prepared with
my hundred native Germans and sew
| eral hundred native constables to re-
rulse the attempted landing Of the ma
rines.
at first we were successful, but as
we had no heavy artillery and were not
even equipped with machine guns we
had to give up in the end. Leaving
half of my complement Of native Ger
mans in Rabul to look after the women
and the official papers. ] took about a
hundred natives and fifty Germans and
went to the wireless station, with a
view to saving it from capture and pos
sible destruction.
This we held for day, but when re-
Inducements came up We had TO re-
treat. We went about ten miles into
the barren, practically unexplored, in
terror of the country and intrenched.
The Australians had no idea how large
our force was, and we made sure to
keep up ar incessant fire with our
rifles.
Forces Farley After Battle.
"The natives, scared by the shooting,
told the Australian commander that
there were heaps Of Germans in the
interior. After losing perhaps forty
men killed and large number wounded
the Australian commander. whose
losses we afterward found had been
terrific, asked for a parley. and ] per-
sonally went to negotiate with him.
And here is the funny part of the
whole story" Governor Haber said.
Acting on the belief that our num-
bers were vastly greater than he had
supposed, the Australian commander
accepted one Of the main features Of
my proposed conditions Of surrender.
| This was that all officials Of the colony
were to be guaranteed safe conduct
| through the enemies lines to Ger
many, without a binding promise that
we were not to fight after reaching
the fatherland.
after much deliberation, the Aus
| tralian commander accepted. We capt.
/ ulated, were treated with military
/ honors and sent to Sidney. The Off
Gals there refused at first to stand by
| the terms Of the capitulation in view
of the fact that the commandant in
making them had been misled.
ave were sent from one place to an
/ other, and most of the officials who
| accompanied me and were entitled
under the Australian terms to receive
/ safe conduct to Germany were sent to
/ concentration camp. Finally, with
| the assistance OF the Danish Consul,
/ the Australian government decided TO
/ give us safe conduct, We were allowed
/ to proceed to San Francisco. each bear
/ ing a special pass signed by the Aus
! tralian Minister Of State.
"As he was acting with the knowl-
| edge and consent Of the British author
tiles fear no trouble in getting safely
across to Germany with my little band"
the Governor said, smilingly. ave are
/ all members of the reserve and expect
( to be called to the colors as soon as
we land"
Governor Haber contends that under
| the German regime the commercial i'm
portance Of New Guinea had increased
TO such an extent that the colony was
almost self-supporting.
japanese Take Islands.
The Governor refused to comment on
! the japanese situation, but from men,
bers OF his retinue it was learned that,
Notwithstanding Australian protests,
the japanese are said to have taken
possession of the Caroline, the Mar
Shall and the Ladrone islands.
In the party which will arrive from
New Orleans to-day are eighty-six
men. twelve women and three children.
| One German woman gave birth to q
child on the way across the Pacific
and was left behind in San Francisco.
German New Guinea's annual trade
was estimated at l,500, 900 marks" Gov
ernor Haber declared. Although many
Of the German settlers who have p IAN
tations there have been permitted TO
sfay there, all products are shipped
"a Australia, which is now practically
eornering the market for New Guinean
Alter a few days rest in this city
during which the Hamburg-Americsn
line will take care of the tourists
thew will embark for Germany aboard
! a neutral vessel.