41 
THE TROHCAL 
AGRICULttJPJST. 
tJULY 1, 1963, 
COWS OR COCONUTS? 
Amebica and Geemany Disagree. 
A leU.er just received at the Cungrejiational 
House in Boston U. S., from the Caroline 
Islands, has added to the popular dislike of Germany 
already felt in America. On the instigation of a 
German trader tlie pjradnating class in the mis- 
sionary training school at Kuk were arrested by 
the captain of a German warship, and carried 
to Ponape, 30) miles. The charge alleged was 
disloyal talk, to the effect that Germany was of 
no account, and the American mission owned the 
island. The missionary, Eev M L Stimson, en- 
deavoured to obtain a hearing in the case, but 
was treated with great insolence by the German 
captain, who declared that the American mission- 
aries were 'making great trouble.' This happened 
on December 26th, but two months later the 
prisoners had not been re'eased, lb seems that 
the missionary and the trader, as so often has 
happened, areat issue, and the German authorities 
have sided with the latter. Saniniarising the state- 
ments of tl'.e former, it appears thai; the Jaluit 
Gesellschaft has the trade monopoly, and objects to 
the missionary's refusal to plant every possible acre 
with coconuts. The missiotiai y thinks I he people 
need more than mere coconuts ; they must pasture 
cows, etc. As Kuk and the neighbouring islands 
of the Mortlock group are far the most populous 
in the eastern Carolines, large profits are insight 
if the German trader can enforce his preference 
of nuts to cows. The missionary reports that the 
Jaluit Gesellschaft is practically ' the soul and 
object of the local government.' 
Evidences of a plot to dispossess the American 
mission are unpleasantly apparent It was in 
occupation before the Spaniards took possession 
of the islands. The property was duly purchased ; 
the deed, were endorsed and stamped by the 
Spanish Government. After the purchase of 
the islands from Spain by Germany, the German 
authorities notified the lesidents at Ponape and 
Kusaie to present all such deeds to them for 
validation. But no such notice was given to the 
residents at Kuk, who apprehend from remarks of 
t!ie German Governor that their title is outlawed 
and a seizure contemplated ; the property being 
coveted for Government uses when its contemplated 
removal from Ponape to Kuk takes place. 
Meanwhile, as the mission reports, ' every- 
thing is being done that cxn be thought of to 
harass our work.' The Baard of Missions at 
Boston has been desirous for some time to turn 
over its mission in Micronesia to either a British 
or a German society, but its efforts have been 
baulked. The Government in the Carolines is 
believed to prefer Catholic to Protestant mis- 
sionaries ; their coining is already announced. 
Mr Stim on's letter says: 'It is my judgment 
that the Germans will put; every possible obstacle 
in the way, either of your continuing the work or 
of any one else succeeding to it.' 
All this is certainly most unfortunate for the 
restoration of that good feeling in America 
toward Germany which was upset by the behaviour 
of the German admiral at Manila in 1898, and 
still more by recent German doings in Venezuela. 
Nothiug will abate the deep resentment thus 
caused but the immediate disapproval at Berlin 
of these doings in the Carolines, and the fulfil- 
ment of the pledges given when Germany took 
possession there, that the American mission, now 
for sixty years in operation, should not be inter- 
feied with. Tha American Government, upon 
being infoi med of the existing conditions, imme- 
diately laid the case before the Imperial Govern- 
ment, of whose justice no doubt is at present 
entertained. But for Prussian militarism, and 
the overbearing aggressiveness it engenders, 
the two countries would get on very amicably. 
Nevertheless, it is a sad fact that Germany is the 
only nation in the world with which cool-minded 
Americans regard a war as possible. This is the 
explanation of the unprecedentedly large appro- 
priation for new warships made by the recent 
Congress, 
— Home paper, J. M. W. 
PLANTIXG NOTES. 
Tea in South A.prica.— Very little is 
heuid of any serious consideration beinp 
given on the part of the Chamber of Com- 
merce and Thirty Committee to the im- 
mense market for Ceylon teas that South 
Africa offers. That India has been early 
alive to the field presented, one to which 
we have constantly drawn attention of late, 
is cleitrly shown by the repurt— dated 
Johannesburg, February 1st— to the Assam 
Branch of the Indian Tea Association, which 
we publish elsewhere tonight, and every 
word of which should be carefully perused 
by those interested in new markets for our 
teas. Mr. Chamney, the writer, who has 
studied the existing trade in detail, shows 
how much more might be done - the imports 
for last year being less than 2 million lb. 
or little more than 3 lb. per head. The 
duty on tea in the Transvaal is more clearly 
given than by our late correspondent, Mr. 
Arthur Green— working out at about 2d per lb 
while in Natal it is 6d. It is clearly to 
the Transvaal that attention must be most 
specially directed. At present Ceylon has a 
moderate hold : but we cannot believe that 
India will fail to take advantage of the 
information now sent over and do its best to 
secure a wide footing, probably at the ex- 
pense of Ceylon. Whether the " Thirty Com- 
mittee" are unable, for want of funds, or not, 
to take action— either on the report elsewhere, 
or after obtaining another from one or other 
of the most suitable Ceylon men now in 
South Africa— we trust that Colombo mer- 
cantile firms will bestir themselves to seize 
the oppovtunities for making our Ceylon 
product more widely known and liked than 
it is today, from the Limpopo to Orange 
River and from Durban to the Diamond 
City. Some firms have, as our passenger 
lists testifiecl, already sant men to start 
their tea and other business connections 
.across the water to the south-west ; but 
much more remains to be done if what is 
in our opinion destined to be the best tea- 
consuming colonial territory in the world 
next to that of Australia, is to be secured 
for the neiirest (»«ce Natal !) and in many ways 
most suitable British-grown tea available. 
