great island of New Guinea that it was only natural Australians should not wish that any Foreign Power should become interested in it and so lead to complications and friction in the future. Part of it had long belonged to the Dutch, since 1828, I think, and they had done nothing with it, neither occupied nor explored the territory they had annexed. The remainder, said Australia, must be British; it was necessary for the peace, well-being, and safety of the Australians that it should be so.
Rumours had flown about that some Foreign Power had designs on it. Strong representations were made to the Home Government—all were ignored. Then Australia, or at least Queensland, hoisted the British Flag on that part of the great island which was not actually under her protection and influence. " Down with that flag!" cried the indignant Lord Derby and the Home Government. " How dare you, mere colonies, attempt such an unconstitutional thing as hoist the British Flag anywhere?" " But the Germans or the French or some one is coming to take it!" "Nonsense!" cried the Wise Men in England, "there is not a chance of such a thing; you are ignorant and foolish; we know better."
So down came the British Flag and in a very short space of time up went the German Flag in the Desirable Land, and there it floats to this day, is to be sometime the cause of serious contention, and has given the happily sea-girt Australian continent a possible enemy at her very doors, and endowed her with a Foreign Question of her own—thanks again to the Wise Men of England. Now, New Guinea is British, German, and Dutch. There will be lots of playing about with questions about boundaries, islands, and the like—there have been some already.
No one in Germany knew where New Guinea
