Oceania and Austrolosia.—One of the areas of so-called backward races which has been most thoroughly appropriated by western im perialistic nations is that which includes the islands, greatly varying in size and importance, which are situated south and east of Asia. These arc usually divided into two major divisions, Oceania and Australasia. The former is further subdivided into Malaysia, Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia, while the latter is composed of Australia, Tasmania, New Zea land and the lesser adjacent islands. Malaysia, sometimes known as the East Indies or the Malay Archipelago, is made up of the islands lying immediately to the southeast of Asia. the most important of which are Sumatra. Java, Borneo, Celebes, New Guinea, and Luzon and Mindanao of the Philippine group. The great majority of these belong to the Dutch. the only exceptions being the Philippines; eastern Timor, belonging to Portugal; the British possessions of Singapore and parts of Borneo and New Guinea; and the former German colony in northeastern New Guinea, known as Kaiser Wilhelmsland. Polynesia comprises the great majority of the islands of the western and mid-Pacific area, including the Fanning, Ellice, Tokelau, Tonga, Kermadec and Cook islands, belonging to Great Britain; the Samoan Islands formerly belonging, with the exception of an American naval base, to Ger many; the Austral, Society, Tuamotu and Mar quesas islands possessed by France; and the Hawaiian Islands, a territory of the United States. Micronesia consists of the Marianne, Pelew, Caroline and Marshall islands, formerly owned by Germany; and the Gilbert Islands possessed by Great Britain. Melanesia com prises the Santa Crux, Banks, Fiji, D'Entre casteaux and Louisiade islands, belonging to Great Britain; the former German colonies of the Admiralty, Bougainville and Bismarck is lands of the Bismarck Archipelago; the Solo mon Islands. owned formerly by Great Britain and Germany; the French possessions of New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands; and the New Hebrides owned jointly by France and Great Britain. The economic resources of the region known as Oceania vary greatly. The Dutch possessions in Malaysia have throughout modern times been the chief source of the world's supply of spices, and are also im portant for production of tea, coffee and tropical fruits and woods. The products of the Philippines have already been mentioned. The lesser islands in some cases possess valu able mineral deposits and most of them pro duce the cocoanut and tropical fruits in a varying degree of profusion, but, with few exceptions, the western powers have sought dominion in these oceanic regions on acconn• of the supposed strategic value of harbor.,
naval bases and coaling stations in the Pacific area. Asyet the economic exploitation of much of the district has not been systematically prosecuted. While the international relations in this area have been rich in producing sig nificant developments in diplomatic negotia tions, there have been only a few incidents worthy of specific mention. The Philippine situation has already been treated Next to these islands the most important international controversy in Oceania arose over the Samoan Islands. From 1877 to 1889 Great Britain, Germany and the United States cohtested in diplomacy for these islands and an inter national war would probably have been pre cipitated over them had it not been for the hurricane of 16 March 1889, which destroyed the fleets of the rivals in these waters. Matters were smoothed over, and by the agreement of 2 Dec. 1899, most of the Samoan Islands were handed over to Germany, with the exception of Tutuila and some lesser islands taken by the United States. In the World War the German Samoan possessions were captured by N' Zealand and given to this state by the Peace Treaty of 1919. The Hawaiian Islands, an nexed by the United States in 1898, after a considerable debate, constituted the first im portant Pacific extension of American im perialism. The chief significance of the World War in this area was its relation to the dis position of the German possessions in Oceania. In general, the German islands north of the equator were handed over as mandatories of Japan, while those south of the equator, with the exception of Samoa, were given to Aus tralia. This region can never possess any great importance for the future commerce of the world, except in the case of scattered deposits of rare minerals and through providing coal ing stations and dry-docks, but, as the Samoan incident proved, trifling disputes over such in significant islands may jeopardize the peace of the world. The chief cause for apprehension at present is the possibility of an attempt of Japan to assert her right to a hegemony of Oceania, especially if her progress in China and Siberia should be blocked. See MELANESIA;