Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-19

ownership and administration deter
mined. Australia has already an
hounced that she expects to have
saw as to the status of German New
Guinea, the Solomon Islands and the
bismarck archipelago. The Japanese,
who have conquered the islands to the
north. expect to be considered In the
disposition of the Marshalls and the
Caroiines. and the United States will
want to know what is to be done with
the Ladrones SO closely associated
with Guam, and German Samoa. which
is Just over the way from our port of
Page -Pago and the American terri
tories there.
The greater part of this empire is
German New Guinea. the Bismarck
archipelago and the other Islands or
that neighborhood. learned some
thing Of the kaiser's plans concerning
them during trip made TO Austra-
liza and the South Seas not long ago.
I then stopped in Torres strait. south
bf New Guinea, and skirted some or
the islands to the eastward. !! traV-
eled with German officials and mer-
chants. and the information which the
australian government had was
thrown open to me. Later. j crossed
from Australia to New Zealand. and
steamed northward to Apia. the capl-
tai of German Samoa. where l saw
something of the natives and their
Administration under the kaiser.
German New Guinea Is known as
Kaiser Wiihelmsland, having been
named after Wilhelm Hohenzollern.y
retired. The island, which is larger
=, N
Ing Greenland, belongs to the Brit
ish, the Dutch and the Germans. Its
western half is owned by Holland
and the southeastern fourth by Great
Britain. The remainder Is the prop
erty of Germany and has the tue
of kaiser w elhelmsland. 1t is about
twice as large as the state OF In.
diana and comprises the best part OF
the country IT mas NOR, more i, tnan over
twice as many as are to pc 1ouhu
in the territories OF the Dutch or
the British.
The country Of Kaiser Wilhelms,,
watered and covered with such dense
vegetation that the roads nave TO pc
cleared with hatchets. A days march
through the wilderness is often little
more than one mile; The climate
heavy. The island has great deal
81 nne timber, and among the trees
Are the famed banyans. which form
q labyrinth with roots running up
to and unfolding the limbs. , Much
although the Germans have had their
scientific parties going over 1t and
making surveys Of one kind or an
other.
plantations near the coast. and little
settlements have been built at the
principal harbors. In 1914 the Euro
pean population was only 500 Ger
mans, and the amount of land cult
waited was less than 1900 acres. ~
palms and the balance in rubber and
cocoa The land is said to be rich Az
mineral wealth. but the mines have
not been worked on account or the
difficulty Of getting machinery m s.'
the plantations, and the planters rule
after the usual method of the Ger.
mans Some of the land Is irrigated
by the natives who use tubes or pam,
boo to carry the water from one lever
to another. Many of the trloes carry
on farming. They are growing vans,
sweet potatoes and bananas, and, or
late. Indian corn. The German colo
nists have been experimenting Win
cotton and tobacco. They have plant
Ad several plantations about Astrolabe
bay. one OF which has produced an
Average of about bale TO the acre.
am told that the planters have great
trouble getting labor. They say ina.
the native races are dying out, ana
that some means of legislation VIII
have to be introduced to regenerate
them. -
The natives here. and on the Islands
6f the, Bismarck archipelago &S1oin-
ing. are wild to an extreme. Some
Of the tribes go naked. save FOR
breech cloths Of bark for the men
Ind short petticoats of woven grass
Tor the women. Along the extreme
northern coast the natives are en-
tirely nude with the exception OF
shell necklace and feathers OF the
bird of paradise which they stick In
their hair Some tribes wear only
stripes of white. red, yellow and
black paint, and others decorate
themselves with scars made by burn
Ing. as the Japanese burn themselves
with the moxa.
The different tribes have different
Sorts Of dwellings In some parts OF
Kaiser Wilhelmsland they have what
might be called apartment houses,
built upon poles. These are of enor-
nous size. The framework is of
poles, with mats of woven leaves or
Grass fastened to them. The mats
Ire SO arranged that they may be