The Colorado statesman., 1924-05-10


When Germany started into the col
onizing business centuries later than
other powers and got control of the
worlds left overs" she looked on
the island of Nauru, far out in the
Pacific, as one of the least of her
possessions. But even before the
World war It came to be recognized
that Nauru. its size considered, is one
of the worlds richest islands. Now 1t
Is under British mandate and the
wealth it produces is falling into
other Golfers. Phosphate rock is the
reason for Nauru's Importance it
holds millions of tons of this valuable
fertilizer.
Nauru, or Pleasant island, is almost
at the jumping-off place of the world.
1t Is only thirteen degrees west of the
international date line, and half a
degree south of the Equator. Thus it
is one of what sailors call the Line
Islands"
Before it fell to Germany it knew
no white rulers, but was governed by
It's own laws and chiefs but white in
fuence had impinged upon it for many
years. Whaling ships from New Eng
land ports called there and traded fire.
arms for drinking coconuts and island
pigs. 1t was rather poor island in
those far-off days, before its great
wealth was discovered 1t had no san
dalwoOd or tortoise shell; no pearls
or beche-de-mer; not even coprn, for
copra was not made in the Pacific be-
fore 1872 and coconut oil was not an
article of commerce.
The Nauruans have never been can
nibals, but they had the reputation of
being savage warriors. A traveller
from New Zealand who visited the is
land Just before the Germans took
possession found the natives all armed
and involved in deadly feuds. He
counted nine kinds of rifles of English
and American make, besides several
cannons. There We're then ten white
traders living near each other along
the beach and some of their half-caste
descendants are there today.
When Germany took over the islands
she gave the natives n certain number
of days to give up their arms. They
generally obcyed, but few threw
theirs into the caves which underlie
the island where they are found from
time to time by exploring parties.
Germans Taught Copra Making.
There are two things to the Ger
mans credit in the Pacific They built
roads and they taught the natives to
make copra.
Copra is easily made and stored.
The meat of the ripe coconut is broken
into pieces and dried in the sun just
long enough to extract the moisture;
then 1t is bagged and ready for sale.
In the South seas copra Is magic
word For this the Pacific trader
dares the malaria and savages of the
Solomons and the New Hebrides, and
the teeth of the coral reefs The trade
store and copra shed stand on the
beach of every coral isle, and when
steamer or schooner calls, the surf
boats go in and out, over the reef at
high tide or through intricate chan
nels when there IS an open lagoon,
carrying trade goods and returning
with bags of cOpra.
The German colonial government
did not know what treasure 1t had
under It's feet but was content to run
little trade store, branch of the
Jaluit store, which sold to the natives
tobacco and beer, Alaska canned sal
mon, sugar rice and ship biscuits
in exchange for copra. 1t also sold
prints and thin japanese silks for the
Mother Hubbard dresses which the
American missionaries taught the ma
tive women to wear and for the lava.
lavas which the native men wore to
the mission churches.
Then came great change, owing to
the discovery of phosphate.
According to geologists, Nauru, like
Aphrodlte, rose dripping from the sea
ages ago. This emergence may have
been sudden, or the process of eleva-
ton may have been gradual. At any
rate, when the coral island was eN-
posed II must have looked like the
fantastic structures built in aquari-
uIns, with plnnacles, towers, bridges,
flying bpttresses, and other architec-
tural fantasies upreared Into the air.
Then came the sea birds, millions
and millions of them. feeding on the
abundant sea food, nesting in the coral,
Matching their young in ever-increas-
ing multltuies, and depositing the