The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-04-06
SOLOMON ISLANDS
.NLOSS TO GERMANS
Two Insignificant Dots On
the Map Captured By
Australians.

WASHINGTON. D. c.. April s.
Giving a picture of the islands OF the
Solomon group, which belonged to
Germany before the war, but which
were Captured by the Australians
some months ago, a writer for the
National Geographic society says:
When a man has learned to live
without ambition n to tur his back
on hope without regret, then the
islands of the South Pacific are ready
to receive him as their own. Yet to
them turned Germany hen its appe-
tite for empire led 1t forth upon ats
tedious quest for unclaimed places on
the earth.
cit therefore happened that at the
outbreak OF the present war Germany
q sovereignty over those two in
significant dots OF lana upon the end
less expense OF the South Pacific,
known as Buka and Bourgainville. OF
the Solomon group These islands
were small, but. nevertheless. were
an asset to a nation interested i'll
the Far East.
The generation OF Germans that
followed the empire-builders of 1871.
soon felt the. need OF colonial expan-
sion. but, when they looked around it
seemed that every foot OF the earth's
worthwhile surface had been taken
as a colony or a sphere of interest
However, about 1884, the German
New Guinea company was formed.
and German warships began a care
less browsing in the Pacific.
The gunboat Adler (Eagle) took
possession of the Solomons on Octo-
Der 30, 1856. A German-British con
vention i'll 1899 left Germany in pos
sission only of the two most %northerly
islands in the group. OF these, Bour-
granville, the larger, is 125 miles long
and between 20 and so miles wide.
Buka is about SO miles long, and be-
tween 5 to 10 miles wide. Together.
there area ID about 400 square miles.
Both islands have good harbors,
and both are rich in forests and in
excellent agricultural soils. In Buka,
however. there is a lack of water sup
ply, while the larger island is cross
ed by innumerable streams. with
their head waters in the interior
mountains. The Germans built a
! government station here in 1907. and
since then have made considerable
progress in the task of civilizing the
natives, who were employed to do
all of the improvement work. Up to
a few years ago, the male portion OF
the native population scorned az
clothing, while the women considered
themselves uESSSSu luE every OGCdSAUu
when wearing tiny little aprons, at
tached to a slender cord around the
waist, with, possibly, the addition of
some stray tattoo marks and a great
sunshade nat made of palm leaves.
These natives, also, have adhered
with great consistency to cannibalis-
tic traditions.
There was a mere handful of Ger
mans resident in the tiny capital.
which a guarded by fifty native po-
lice. The islands are but a stones
throw from British possessions in the
same group, and but a short sail
from Australia.
1.-The climate of the group is that
of the tropics. but the water wastes
on on every hand and the mountain
Gus regions ear the coast made these
German colonies yer habitable for
the white. Mangrove thickets. sage
and %cocoenut palms, and valuable
woods abound. The natives cultivate
yams, taro, unusually delicious ba-
nanas n an atrocious tobacco, the
last so bad that not even a European
accustomed to his homegrown pro-
duct can enjoy the Solomon Island
smoke.
Every effort was made by the I'm
perial Government to encourage the
development Of plantations here.
The soils and climate are admirably
adapted to the growing of rubber, CO.
Goa beans and ~cocoanuts, and much
of the German energy was expended
in the production of these products.
Much was expected by the Germans
from a proper development of tropi-
cal farming upon these islands, and.
small though they were, they were
looked upon as important future as