Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-07-10
GERMAN COLONIES
IN AF RIGA FOUND
IN BAD CONDITION

remarkable stories OF British mistreat-
ment of natives in German west Afri
ca which recently have been circulated
by the German wireless, an official
statement of the situation in that dis
trict- has been given to the Associated
Press. 1t declares that whatever suf-
fcrings have been endured by the ma
tives of Oyamboland were due, not to
British mistreatment, but to the neg
lect of the German government prior to
British occupation, and gives some de-
tails of the work of restoration and
reconstruction which the British under
took as soon as they came into posses
sion:
The most recent German wireless
communique on this subject was issued
on May 80, and said in part:
Terribly critical conditions have
been created in German West Africa
cwirg to the occupation of that coun-
try by the English. A missionary
writes to a South African mission pa
peri In the Ovambo country the ter
rors of war were followed by even
greater terrors of famine. Now and
then been visited before by similar af-
aictions, but the German government
took care to prevent suffering by help
full precautions so that the affections
never reached extreme severity. After
the ENGLISH came, these precautions
we're neglected and hunger was able to
ravage the unfortunate country with
out mercy. Thousands of native have
fallen victims to English neglect and
nisgovernment'"
The facts as established by reports
from the governor general of South
Africa, illustrate the reckless false
hood of the German official statements.
The British reply is as follows;
The territory OF Ovamboland was
included within the borders of the
German protectorate Of Southwest
Africa, but always left severely alone
by the German administration The
events referred to in the wireless re
port occurred in 1915, and were direct
ly due to the neglect of the German
protectorate to take precautions
against famine.
Owing to a succession of drouths,
want began to make itself felt in
Ovamboland in 1913, and the famine
eliminated in total failure of the
crops in the beginning of 1915.
Immediately after the surrender of
tile German forces at Tsurmeb, in July
1915, the starving Ovambos who hith-
erto had been shut in Oyamboland by
the German troops operating directly
between them and the Union forces,
commenced to stream south out of
Oyamboland in search of succor which
had been denied them by the Germans.
Over 1000 Ovambos reached our posts
in northern districts and we're immed-
lately placed in hospitals and depots
ard everything possible done to nurse
them back to health and strength.
Within two months of our occupa-
ton of the protectorate, large fleet
of motor lorries had been organized to
convey food to Ovamboland and to sue
cor those who had been unable to come
south and relief measures were in full
operation. Cur officers distributed
large quantities of foodstuffs and re-
lief parties were organized to assist
struggling Ovambos on the road. These
measures were carried out in the face
of tremendous difficulties of transport
and in addition to the heavy task of
feeding cur own people in the north
ern part of the protectorate under alb
normal conditions.
ut cannot be emphasized too strong
ly that long prior to the British occu-
patton CT Ovamboland famine had ex-
listed there to an intense degree nor
can it be doubted for a moment that
the German protectorate government is
wholly to blame for the neglect to as
sist the Cvambos during the years 1913
and 1914 and the first six months of
1915"