Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/472

 420 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — NEW GUINEA

The laws of Prussia were the basic laws, and were supplemented by ordi- nance emanating from the Emperor, Chancellor, and the Governor of the Protectorate. German New Guinea had a financial status of its own under a special law of 1892, and was no part of the Zollverein.

Judicially, there was no appeal from the local tribunal to the Supreme Court of the Empire, but the German Emperor could be appealed to by virtue of the protective right of the Emperor over the Possessions.

Administrator late German New Guinea possessions south of Equator and Officer Commanding Naval and Military Expeditionary Force. — General E. A. Wisdom.

1. New Guinea — Kaiser Wilhelm's Land, the northern section of south-east New Guinea, wa3 declared a German protectorate in 1884. It lies between 2° 30' and 8° south latitude, and 141° and 148° east longitude. The area, including Vulcan, Dampier, Long, Schouten, Le Maire, and some smaller islands, is 70,000 square miles. The native population has been variously estimated at from 110,000 to 530,000, but so little is known of the interior that any figures are very conjectural. The coastal districts have a native population of two to the square mile. The territory was under the control and development of the New Guinea Compauy from 1885 to 1899. The first settlement was formed at Finschhafen, which is situated close to the south-eastern border, adjacent to British territory. Out-stations were formed at Konstantine and Hatzfeldt harbours. The principal station on the mainland is at Frederick Wilhelm's Haven, now called Madang. The coast- line is very little broken, and there are few good harbours. From the 141st to 144th meridian there are no harbours, and the only anchorages are open roadsteads under the lee of islands. There are high ranges running parallel with the coast plain, which is from 60 to 100 miles wide. The ranges in the interior have been little explored, and some of their summits are known to exceed 12,000 feet. The principal rivers are the Kaiserin Augusta, or Sepik, which is navigable for over 250 miles. It rises in the Dutch territory and flows easterly. The Ramu, or Ottilie, rises in the south- east, and flows into the sea about 20 miles east of the mouth of the Sepik. The Markham is another large river, which flows into Astrolabe Bay. The climate is hot and the rainfall large. The European population in 1914 was 300 — chiefly German. There are three missionary societies at work in Kaiser Wilhelm's Land : the Neuendettelsaur Mission (Lutheran), the Rheinische Mission (Lutheran Calvanistic), the Catholic Mission of the Holy Ghost Society. These missions are also planters and traders. The chief harbours are \ Frederick Wilhelm's Haven (now Madang), Finsch Haven, Erima Haven, and Adolph Haven (now Morobe). Frederick Wilhelm's Haven and Erima Haven are in Astrolabe Bay. Inter- island trade is carried on by small steamships and motor-schooners. There is a two-monthly oversea service from Madang.

The area of cultivation in 1914 was 16,800 acres, which showed a decrease on the previous two years. The greater part of this area ia planted with coconuts (about 14,000 acres). Rubber and cocoa are also grown. Tropical fruits grow very abundantly. The stuple articles of food of the natives are yams, taro, sago, and bananas. There is very little land used for pasture in Kaiser Wilhelm's Land. The land is rich in mineral wealth, but no minerals are worked on account of the difficulty of transport- ing mining machinery. Native labour is used to work the plantations, and the natives are recruited either from the adjacent villages or from other parts of the Possessions. There are upwards of 6,000 native labourers so recruited for plantation purposes.