Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-04-06

Nearly everything depends upon the
number Of guns and the amount Of
ammunition that Germany will be
able to oppose to the new artillery of
the allies. If a commander is willing
way Is cleared by artillery. there is no
to sacrifice enough men and IL their
position that cannot be taken by in
fantry charges.
IN PARKWAY SOLOMON ISLAND
Recently Seized From Germany by
Australia.
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 and to turf his back
on hope without regret, then the is
lands Of the South Pacific are ready
to receive him as their own. Yet to
them turned Germany when its ap-
petite for empire led. it forth upon
its tedious quest of unclaimed places
on the earth.
1T therefore happened that at the
outbreak of the present war Germany
had sovereignty over those two insig-
niicant dots Of land upon the endless
expanse Of the South Pacific, known
as Buka and B~ourgainviile, Of the
Solomon group. These islands were
small, but, nevertheless, were an as
set to a nation interested in the far
east.
1.-The generation Of Germans that
followed the empire builders Of 1871
soon felt the need Of colonial expan-
sion, but, when they looked around
1t seemed that every foot Of the
earth's worthwhile surface had been
taken as a colony or a sphere Of in
terest.' However, about 1884, the
German New Guinea company was
formed, and German warships began
a careless browsing in the Pacific.
1.-The gunboat Adler took possession
Of the Solomons on October 80, 1885.
A German English convention in 1893
left Germany in possession only OF
the two most northerly islands in the
group. OF these, Bourgainville, the
larger, is 1876 miles long and between
rs and so miles wide. Buka Is about
80 miles long, and between five and
ten miles wide. Together their area
is about 1000 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 a water
supply, while the larger island is
crossed by innumerable streams, with
their head waters in the interior
mountains. The Germans built a gov
eminent station here in 1907, and
since then have made considerable
progress in the task Of civihzing 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 all CLOTH
ing, while the women considered
themselves dressed for every occasion
when wearing tiny little aprons, at
tached to a slender cord around their
waist, with possibly, the addition OF
some stray tattoo marks and a great
sunshade made Of palm leaves. These
natives, also, have adhered with great
consistency to cannibalistic traditions.
There was q mere handful Of Ger
mans resident in the tiny capital,
which was 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.
THE climate Of the group Is that
Of the tropics, but the water wastes
! on every hand and the mountainous
regions near the coast made these
German colonies very habitable for
the whites. Mangrove thmickets, sage
and cocoanut palms, and valuable
woods abound. The natives cultivate
yams, taro, unusually delicious bana-
mas, and an atrocius tobacco, the last
so bad that not eve a European a C
customed to his homegrown product
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 n proper development Of tropi-
cal farming upon these islands, and,
small though they were, they were
looked upon as important future as
SETS"