PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :---
PLC.O. 885
24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRÍNOT TO
280
WESTERN PACIFIC.
Copies of transcripts of various Notices to the Public posted in Nauru by the
German Authorities.
7th August. The German Empire is at war with England, France, and Russia. Martial law has been declared.
Accordingly infringements of the paragraphs 81, 88, 90, 307, 311, 312, 315, 322, 323, 324, of the German Penal Codebook will be punishable with death. The popu- lation is, required to behave quietly and to obey implicitly the orders of the
authorities.
WOSTRACK.
19th August. According to a letter addressed to the undersigned, and signed by the Germans of Nauru, some highly improbable fictitious rumours about German and English warships at Raboul have been spread about the settlement.
Of course, the news mentioned in this letter is invented and untrue. News of this kind has never come to the station.
All news referring to the seat of war which comes in, and all cables of general interest, will be published immediately.
Any interruption of the wireless communication between Nauru, Samoa, and Raboul is not known here at present.
WOSTRACK.
20th August. The wireless station at Jap has not been working for some days past. Therefore, telegrams to go via this place cannot be received and forwarded. I will give information as soon as the station is working again.
(Confidential.)
SIE,
PETERS.
Office of the Resident Commissioner,
Ocean Island, 28th August, 1914.
I HAVE the honour to state, for your personal information, that I have received official instructions that, in consequence of the war with Germany, all possible steps should be taken to protect supplies and for preventing all British ships from clear- ing to enemy ports. May I ask that you will be good enough to give me a written assurance of your co-operation with His Majesty's local Government in the carrying out of these instructions?
2. In the circumstances disclosed of the shortage of provisions for the inden- tured Chinese now at Nauru, I have informed His Excellency the High Commis- sioner that I shall offer no objection to the transfer, on this occasion, to a neutral vessel of the Nauru provisions now on board two British ships at Ocean Island.
3. You should advise all British subjects in the employ of your Company at Nauru that, if they elect to remain on that island, they can look for no protection from the British Government or for support from this Protectorate.
I have, &c.,
Captain P. J. Roberson,
Acting Representative,
SIR,
Pacific Phosphate Company, Limited,
Uma, Ocean Island.
Enclosure 5 in No. 106.
(Gilbert and Ellice. Confidential.)
E. C. ELIOT, Resident Commissioner.
Office of the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific,
Suva, Fiji, 14th October, 1914.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Confidential letters of the 27th and 28th August last, reporting in the former letter on the condition of affairs in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands and at the island of Nauru after the outbreak of war with Germany, and forwarding in the latter letter copies of a telegram from the Pacific Phosphate Company in London, of notices posted in Nauru by the German authorities, and of a letter, the terms of which I approve entirely, addressed by you to the Acting Representative of the Pacific Phosphate Company at Ocean
Island.
1
281
WESTERN PACIFIC.
2. You will now have received my Confidential letters of the 25th and 29th
ultimo.
3. I take this opportunity of enclosing, for your information, copies of a tele- gram received from, and of my letter to, the Governor-General of Australia, regarding the 8.8. Wonganella."
80th September, 1914.* Confidential, 1st October, 1914.†
4. I am forwarding to the Secretary of State copies of your Confidential letters of the 27th and 28th August.
I have, &c.,
His Britannic Majesty's Resident Commissioner, Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate.
42552
SIR,
No. 107.
•
BICKHAM ESCOTT.
High
Commissioner.
THE HIGH COMMISSIONER to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 11th December, 1914.)
(Confidential (2).)
Office of the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific,
Suva, Fiji, 26th October, 1914.
I HAVE the honour to transmit to you, for your information, copies of corre- spondence with the Acting Resident Commissioner, Solomon Islands Protectorate, on the subject of the position of affairs in the Solomon Islands.
2. In my despatchest noted in the margin I have informed you of the action taken in regard to the shipment of supplies to Bougainville, and of the temporary suspen-
Confidential, 11th Beptember, 1914.
No. 484, 80th September, 1914.
sion of recruitment of native labourers in the Protectorate.
I have, &c.,
BICKHAM ESCOTT,
Enclosure 1 in No. 107.
(Solomon Islands. Confidential.)
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
High Commissioner.
Office of the Resident Commissioner,
Tulagi, 22nd September, 1914.
..
I HAVE the honour to inform you that communication with Australia has to a certain extent been re-established, the Kulambangra,' Levers' steamer, has maintained its time-table running, and Burns, Philp & Company's steamer "Min- dini" is expected next week, coming here via New Hebrides, but I have no infor- mation that this line of steamers will adhere to the former time-table and route.
2. The local vessels are nearly all laid up for want of fuel. The coal I was able to purchase from the steamer "Moonta" enables me to keep the Government steamer running and be in touch with most parts of the group. News from Short- land is that nothing unusual is happening; there has not been any communication between Shortland and Bougainville since the war started, vessels that left have not returned, therefore it is assumed that they are detained at Kista. Anxiety is expressed as to the position of the many Englishmen on the Bougainville planta- tions owned by British firms; no word of any sort has come to hand.
3. Food supplies for all purposes are now ample, although the large firms have increased prices out of all proportion to the extra expense incurred.
4.
Trade and commerce has been upset, owing to the inability to dispose of produce, no one will buy copra or other articles usually exported. Traders have withdrawn, consequently all trading with the natives has ceased, and the spending
• Enclosure 1. + Enclosure 2. : 89827 and 47427: not printed.
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